North Korea
North Korea is a low income economy in East Asia & Pacific, with its capital at Pyongyang. 61.4% of its people had electricity in 2024.
- Electricity access
- 61.4%
- 2024, world 91.9%
- Renewable electricity
- 63.1%
- 2021, world 27.8%
- CO₂ per person
- 2.50 t
- 2024, world 4.69 t
- Consumption per person
- 794 kWh
- 2024, world 3,708 kWh
- Clean cooking
- 22.0%
- 2024, world 75.4%
Electricity generation mix
- Oil
- Coal
- Gas
- Hydro
- Nuclear
- Solar, wind & other
North Korea2024
East Asia & Pacific2025
World2025
View data table
| Economy | Oil | Coal | Gas | Hydro | Nuclear | Solar, wind & other | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Korea | 3.0% | 35.1% | 0.0% | 61.2% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 2024 |
| East Asia & Pacific | 1.5% | 31.4% | 26.0% | 6.8% | 14.5% | 12.0% | 2025 |
| World | 1.2% | 15.1% | 28.7% | 15.2% | 15.2% | 12.4% | 2025 |
Share of electricity production by source, latest year available. Shares may not sum to exactly 100% because of rounding and minor sources.
Access to electricity
% of population, compared with East Asia & Pacific and the world.
- North Korea
- World
- East Asia & Pacific
0%
50%
100%
East Asia & PacificWorldNorth Korea View data table
| Year | North Korea | World | East Asia & Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 61.4% | 91.9% | 98.6% |
| 2023 | 57.5% | 91.6% | 98.4% |
| 2022 | 54.7% | 91.3% | 98.2% |
| 2021 | 52.6% | 91.3% | 98.2% |
| 2020 | 50.5% | 90.4% | 97.8% |
| 2019 | 48.4% | 90.1% | 97.9% |
| 2018 | 46.3% | 89.8% | 97.7% |
| 2017 | 44.2% | 88.9% | 97.7% |
| 2016 | 42.1% | 88.1% | 97.0% |
| 2015 | 40.0% | 86.9% | 97.0% |
| 2014 | 37.8% | 86.2% | 96.6% |
| 2013 | 35.7% | 85.7% | 96.5% |
| 2012 | 33.6% | 84.9% | 96.2% |
| 2011 | 31.4% | 84.5% | 96.0% |
| 2010 | 29.3% | 83.5% | 95.5% |
| 2009 | 26.0% | 82.9% | 95.0% |
| 2008 | – | 82.7% | 95.2% |
| 2007 | – | 82.0% | 94.7% |
| 2006 | – | 81.4% | 94.6% |
| 2005 | – | 80.7% | 93.6% |
| 2004 | – | 80.0% | 94.0% |
| 2003 | – | 80.0% | 93.2% |
| 2002 | – | 79.1% | 93.0% |
| 2001 | – | 78.7% | 92.5% |
| 2000 | – | 78.2% | 92.1% |
| 1999 | – | 74.5% | – |
| 1998 | – | 73.2% | – |
Emissions
CO₂ per person, tonnes, excluding land use.
- North Korea
- World
- East Asia & Pacific
0 t
2 t
4 t
6 t
8 t
East Asia & PacificWorldNorth Korea View data table
| Year | North Korea | World | East Asia & Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2.50 t | 4.69 t | 7.35 t |
| 2023 | 2.49 t | 4.68 t | 7.28 t |
| 2022 | 2.27 t | 4.67 t | 7.06 t |
| 2021 | 2.18 t | 4.68 t | 7.06 t |
| 2020 | 2.64 t | 4.47 t | 6.80 t |
| 2019 | 2.82 t | 4.70 t | 6.85 t |
| 2018 | 2.56 t | 4.73 t | 6.73 t |
| 2017 | 2.85 t | 4.67 t | 6.51 t |
| 2016 | 1.40 t | 4.65 t | 6.41 t |
| 2015 | 1.28 t | 4.70 t | 6.43 t |
| 2014 | 1.63 t | 4.78 t | 6.52 t |
| 2013 | 1.50 t | 4.81 t | 6.52 t |
| 2012 | 1.94 t | 4.77 t | 6.34 t |
| 2011 | 2.02 t | 4.76 t | 6.22 t |
| 2010 | 2.76 t | 4.67 t | 5.82 t |
| 2009 | 2.88 t | 4.45 t | 5.40 t |
| 2008 | 3.01 t | 4.56 t | 5.20 t |
| 2007 | 2.76 t | 4.59 t | 5.15 t |
| 2006 | 3.31 t | 4.48 t | 4.85 t |
| 2005 | 3.27 t | 4.39 t | 4.55 t |
| 2004 | 3.16 t | 4.28 t | 4.21 t |
| 2003 | 3.11 t | 4.15 t | 3.86 t |
| 2002 | 3.07 t | 4.02 t | 3.54 t |
| 2001 | 3.22 t | 4.01 t | 3.38 t |
| 2000 | 3.12 t | 4.01 t | 3.29 t |
| 1999 | 2.92 t | 3.95 t | 3.18 t |
| 1998 | 2.70 t | 3.98 t | 3.19 t |
| 1997 | 3.32 t | 4.02 t | 3.24 t |
| 1996 | 3.45 t | 4.01 t | 3.19 t |
| 1995 | 3.93 t | 3.99 t | 3.20 t |
Currency
No reference rate available for this currency.
Sunshine in Pyongyang
2.9 kWh/m² today
- Tu2.9 kWh per square metre
- We4.4 kWh per square metre
- Th3.0 kWh per square metre
- Fr2.9 kWh per square metre
- Sa3.7 kWh per square metre
- Su1.4 kWh per square metre
- Mo4.4 kWh per square metre
Open-Meteo forecast, modelled irradiation.
Power plants
Installed capacity by fuel
31 plants, 9,208 MW recorded in WRI’s Global Power Plant Database.
- Coal5,403 MW
- Hydro3,805 MW
Snapshot as of the database’s 2021 release; newer plants are not included. Nameplate capacity, not available generation.
Largest plants
| Plant | Fuel | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pukchang power station | Coal | 1,600 | 1976 |
| Supung | Hydro | 700 | 1956 |
| East Pyongyang power station | Coal | 500 | 2006 |
| Hamhung | Coal | 500 | – |
| The March 17th Power Plant | Hydro | 482 | – |
| Chongjin City power station | Coal | 450 | 1987 |
| Pochon | Hydro | 400 | – |
| Pyongyang power station | Coal | 400 | 1965 |
| Rajin | Coal | 400 | – |
| Sunchon power station | Coal | 400 | 1984 |
| Unbong | Hydro | 400 | 1960 |
| Yunfeng | Hydro | 400 | – |
All indicators
North Korea in numbers
Energy access
| Indicator | North Korea | Year | East Asia & Pacific | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to electricity % of population | 61.4% | 2024 | 98.6% | 91.9% |
| Access to electricity, rural % of rural population | – | 97.3% | 84.9% | |
| Access to electricity, urban % of urban population | – | 99.9% | 97.8% | |
| Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking % of population | 22.0% | 2024 | 87.0% | 75.4% |
Power supply and mix
| Indicator | North Korea | Year | East Asia & Pacific | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from coal % of total | 35.1% | 2024 | 31.4% | 15.1% |
| Electricity production from natural gas % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 26.0% | 28.7% |
| Electricity production from oil % of total | 3.0% | 2024 | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Electricity production from nuclear % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 14.5% | 15.2% |
| Electricity production from hydroelectric sources % of total | 61.2% | 2024 | 6.8% | 15.2% |
| Electric power transmission and distribution losses % of output | 15.5% | 2024 | 3.9% | 6.9% |
| Electric power consumption per capita kWh per capita | 794 kWh | 2024 | 5,715 kWh | 3,708 kWh |
Energy transition
| Indicator | North Korea | Year | East Asia & Pacific | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from renewables, excluding hydro % of total | 0.3% | 2021 | 12.0% | 12.4% |
| Renewable electricity output % of total electricity output | 63.1% | 2021 | 25.9% | 27.8% |
| Renewable energy consumption % of total final energy consumption | 14.7% | 2021 | 14.8% | 19.7% |
| CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding LULUCF) t CO₂e per capita | 2.50 t | 2024 | 7.35 t | 4.69 t |
| CO₂ emissions, total (excluding LULUCF) Mt CO₂e | 66.2 Mt | 2024 | 17,388.8 Mt | 39,632.7 Mt |
| Energy intensity of primary energy MJ per $2017 PPP GDP | 6.48 MJ/$ | 2021 | 5.23 MJ/$ | 4.54 MJ/$ |
Energy economy
| Indicator | North Korea | Year | East Asia & Pacific | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | – | 4.2% | 9.5% | |
| Oil rents % of GDP | – | 0.27% | 1.36% | |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | – | 0.33% | 0.52% | |
| GDP per capita current US$ | – | 14,077 | 14,406 | |
| Population, total people | 26.6M | 2025 | 2.4B | 8.2B |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Latest year available per series.