Share of the population with access to basic services in North Korea

North Korea: Share of the population with access to basic services was 61.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
61.4%
Change on year
up 6.8%
World rank
184th
of 214 countries
All-time high
61.4%
in 2024
All-time low
26.0%
in 2009
Years of data
16
2009–2024

Share of the population with access to basic services in North Korea, 2009–2024

02040602009201620242009: 26 % of population2010: 29.3 % of population2011: 31.4 % of population2012: 33.6 % of population2013: 35.7 % of population2014: 37.8 % of population2015: 40 % of population2016: 42.1 % of population2017: 44.2 % of population2018: 46.3 % of population2019: 48.4 % of population2020: 50.5 % of population2021: 52.6 % of population2022: 54.7 % of population2023: 57.5 % of population2024: 61.4 % of population

Source: Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of population.

Analysis

North Korea recorded 61.4% for share of the population with access to basic services in 2024. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

The figure is up 6.8% on the previous year and up 62.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population with access to basic services in North Korea peaked at 61.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 26.0%, in 2009.

North Korea ranks 184th of 214 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 26.0% 26.0% 26.0% 1
2010s 38.9% 29.3% 48.4% 10
2020s 55.3% 50.5% 61.4% 5

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 181 Equatorial Guinea 65.1% compare
  2. 182 Nigeria 62.5% compare
  3. 183 Zimbabwe 62.0% compare
  4. 185 Togo 61.1% compare
  5. 186 Lesotho 60.6% compare
  6. 187 Namibia 59.3% compare

See the full ranking of 214 places →

More reference data data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population with access to basic services in North Korea?
Share of the population with access to basic services in North Korea was 61.4% in 2024, according to Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population with access to basic services recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 61.4% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of the population with access to basic services recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 26.0% in 2009.
How does North Korea rank for share of the population with access to basic services?
North Korea ranks 184th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of the population with access to basic services rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 62.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this North Korea data come from?
The figures come from Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with access to basic services. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population with access to basic services
Unit
% of population
Source
Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
214 places, 6,702 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

Access to electricity means having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.