Environment in North Korea 242 indicators covering environment for North Korea. IndicatorLatest Year10-yr change Rank Land use 2.55 million hectares 2023 down 1.4% 82nd Forest area by type: naturally regenerating vs. planted 1.60 million hectares 2025 up 9.1% 31st Share using safely managed drinking water 66.6% 2023 down 1.0% 105th People not using safely managed drinking water sources 8.82 million people 2023 up 6.5% 36th Drinking water service usage 66.6% 2023 down 1.0% 105th River flooding exposure — Cropland share exposed to river flooding 2.46 Percentage of agricultural land area 2022 down 4.6% 89th Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 08 - Sectoral breakdown of 23.11 Percentage of GDP 2022 down 1.1% 29th Water withdrawals per capita 327.72 cubic meters per person 2023 down 4.1% 80th Exported deforestation 384.2 hectares 2023 up 1,182.4% 66th Imported deforestation 774.74 hectares 2023 up 228.8% 143rd Deforestation embedded in trade 390.54 hectares 2023 up 89.9% 112th Consumption-based deforestation per person 0.2934 square meters 2023 down 65.3% 155th Industrial water withdrawal 1.15 billion cubic meters 2023 unchanged 48th Environment-related technologies patents — Patent applications 0 Patents 2023 down 100.0% 73rd Total official financial flows for water supply and sanitation, by recipient 270,000 millions of constant united states dollars 2024 down 94.2% 132nd Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 2,590 Hectares 2020 down 3.4% 100th Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 2,280 Hectares 2020 down 5.0% 72nd Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 2,540 Hectares 2020 down 3.4% 71st Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 6,030 Hectares 2020 down 3.4% 64th Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 12,041 Hectares 2020 unchanged 90th Environment-related technologies patents — Patent grants 0 Patents 2022 — 59th Total donations received for biodiversity conservation 10,000 millions of constant united states dollars 2024 down 99.0% 148th Share of terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected 0.0% 2025 — 227th Protected area coverage of mountain key biodiversity areas 0.0% 2025 — 172nd Protected area coverage of marine key biodiversity areas 0.0% 2025 — 174th Drivers of deforestation 348.77 hectares 2023 down 1.2% 61st Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 30 - Environmental causes 838.27 Per 1 000 000 inhabitants 2019 up 45.9% 11th Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 30 - Environmental causes 617.89 Per 1 000 000 inhabitants 2019 up 11.3% 10th Drinking water usage in urban areas 0 people 2023 — 84th Population using at least basic drinking-water services 88.8% 2023 down 4.6% 103rd Population using at least basic sanitation services 73.1% 2023 up 3.7% 110th People using improved drinking water sources 1.43 million people 2023 up 81.1% 40th Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 29 - National wealth 54.42 US dollar 2018 down 12.6% 23rd Drinking water services 68,600 people 2021 down 1.0% 70th Drinking water services in rural areas 68,600 people 2021 down 1.0% 66th Share of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas that are protected 0.0% 2025 — 153rd Agriculture-driven deforestation 719.97 hectares 2024 down 78.7% 82nd Carbon dioxide (CO2) net fluxes from LULUCF - Forest Land -19.31 Mt CO2e 2023 unchanged 135th Carbon dioxide (CO2) net fluxes from LULUCF - Deforestation 2.3 Mt CO2e 2023 unchanged 72nd Freshwater withdrawals as a share of internal resources 27.7% 2023 unchanged 58th Carbon dioxide (CO2) net fluxes from LULUCF - Other Land 0 Mt CO2e 2020 — 59th Carbon dioxide (CO2) net fluxes from LULUCF - Organic Soil 0 Mt CO2e 2020 — 38th Land cover and land cover change — Grassland 539.24 Square kilometres 2022 down 2.0% 108th Using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas 77.0% 2023 down 0.9% 47th Share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water 77.0% 2023 down 0.9% 47th Land cover and land cover change — Loss of cropland 1,166 Square kilometres 2022 up 51.9% 97th Land cover and land cover change — Gain of artificial surfaces 486.6 Square kilometres 2022 up 479.8% 78th Land Surface Temperature 13.19 2021 up 11.6% 173rd PM2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO Interim 19.3% 2017 down 77.8% 60th PM2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO Interim 99.9% 2017 down 0.1% 48th PM2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO Interim 100.0% 2017 unchanged 1st Forest certified for sustainable use 0 thousands of hectares 2024 — 85th Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas 24.95 micrograms per cubic meter 2023 down 50.1% 58th Above-ground forest biomass 74.49 tonnes per hectare 2025 unchanged 152nd Share of forest area within protected areas 12.7% 2025 up 1.5% 125th Ozone (O₃) concentration 70 ppb 2015 up 6.1% 21st Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development 0.2651 2024 down 94.3% 129th Coastal protection 73.27 2025 down 0.4% 84th Population using safely managed sanitation services 1.2% 2023 down 90.4% 99th Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted 41,930 2017 down 51.6% 60th ← Previous Page 4 of 5 Next →