North Korea vs South Korea
North Korea vs South Korea: CO₂ per person
CO₂ per person in 2024: 2.5 tonnes in North Korea and 11.36 tonnes in South Korea, by EDGAR estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Korea, by 8.86 tonnes, or 4.54 times that in North Korea.
tonnes per person · EDGAR
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 1991, when it overtook North Korea.
- In 2024, North Korea ranked 105 and South Korea ranked 16 of 202 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 4.69 tonnes in 2024.
Every year
tonnes per person · EDGAR
| Year | North Korea | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2.5 | 11.36 | 4.69 |
| 2023 | 2.49 | 11.42 | 4.68 |
| 2022 | 2.27 | 11.87 | 4.67 |
| 2021 | 2.18 | 12.34 | 4.69 |
| 2020 | 2.64 | 11.91 | 4.48 |
| 2019 | 2.82 | 12.65 | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 2.56 | 13.19 | 4.74 |
| 2017 | 2.85 | 12.95 | 4.67 |
| 2016 | 1.4 | 12.67 | 4.65 |
| 2015 | 1.28 | 12.62 | 4.7 |
| 2014 | 1.64 | 12.43 | 4.78 |
| 2013 | 1.5 | 12.73 | 4.81 |
| 2012 | 1.94 | 12.85 | 4.77 |
| 2011 | 2.03 | 12.97 | 4.76 |
| 2010 | 2.76 | 12.37 | 4.67 |
| 2009 | 2.88 | 11.28 | 4.45 |
| 2008 | 3.01 | 11.26 | 4.56 |
| 2007 | 2.76 | 11.11 | 4.59 |
| 2006 | 3.31 | 10.81 | 4.48 |
| 2005 | 3.27 | 10.71 | 4.39 |
| 2004 | 3.16 | 10.8 | 4.28 |
| 2003 | 3.11 | 10.5 | 4.15 |
| 2002 | 3.07 | 10.38 | 4.02 |
| 2001 | 3.22 | 10.07 | 4.01 |
| 2000 | 3.12 | 9.92 | 4.01 |
| 1999 | 2.92 | 9.24 | 3.95 |
| 1998 | 2.7 | 8.5 | 3.98 |
| 1997 | 3.32 | 9.99 | 4.02 |
| 1996 | 3.45 | 9.59 | 4.01 |
| 1995 | 3.93 | 9.03 | 3.99 |
| 1994 | 4.25 | 8.46 | 3.94 |
| 1993 | 4.71 | 7.91 | 3.97 |
| 1992 | 5.16 | 7.34 | 4.02 |
| 1991 | 5.92 | 6.75 | 4.1 |
| 1990 | 6.25 | 6.07 | 4.15 |
| 1989 | 6.62 | 5.67 | 4.16 |
| 1988 | 6.66 | 5.44 | 4.16 |
| 1987 | 6.6 | 4.87 | 4.1 |
| 1986 | 6.95 | 4.77 | 4.04 |
| 1985 | 7.14 | 4.63 | 4.05 |
| 1984 | 7.02 | 4.47 | 4.07 |
| 1983 | 6.88 | 4.02 | 4.01 |
| 1982 | 6.74 | 3.74 | 4.05 |
| 1981 | 6.54 | 3.81 | 4.18 |
| 1980 | 6.46 | 3.71 | 4.33 |
| 1979 | 6.23 | 3.7 | 4.46 |
| 1978 | 5.85 | 3.31 | 4.42 |
| 1977 | 5.62 | 3.18 | 4.36 |
| 1976 | 5.4 | 2.84 | 4.31 |
| 1975 | 5.18 | 2.58 | 4.15 |
| 1974 | 5.05 | 2.42 | 4.23 |
| 1973 | 4.96 | 2.34 | 4.32 |
| 1972 | 4.96 | 1.94 | 4.16 |
| 1971 | 4.9 | 1.92 | 4.04 |
| 1970 | 5.01 | 1.93 | 4.15 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Carbon dioxide from energy, industry, farming and waste, divided by the population; land use and forests are left out.
- Source: EDGAR (European Commission JRC) and the IEA, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 202 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
North Korea vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyNorth Korea: 73.6 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNorth Korea: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNorth Korea: 14.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNorth Korea: 66.5% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionNorth Korea: 3.09% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateNorth Korea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNorth Korea: 26.4 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthNorth Korea: 0.32% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNorth Korea: 1.78 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNorth Korea: 64.2% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageNorth Korea: 36.1 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNorth Korea: 12% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateNorth Korea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending per personNorth Korea: $62 in 2018South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNorth Korea: 1.47 million people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerNorth Korea: 1.41% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNorth Korea: 8.62% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNorth Korea: 1 million TIV in 2010South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNorth Korea: 44 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025