Access to electricity in North Korea

North Korea: Access to electricity was 39.2% in 2016. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2016)
39.2%
Change on year
up 4.8%
World rank
212th
of 217 countries
All-time high
39.2%
in 2016
All-time low
0.0%
in 1990
Years of data
27
1990–2016

Access to electricity in North Korea, 1990–2016

0102030401990200320161990: 0.01 % of urban population1991: 0.029 % of urban population1992: 0.168 % of urban population1993: 0.641 % of urban population1994: 1.2 % of urban population1995: 3 % of urban population1996: 4.7 % of urban population1997: 6.5 % of urban population1998: 8.2 % of urban population1999: 10 % of urban population2000: 11.6 % of urban population2001: 13.3 % of urban population2002: 15 % of urban population2003: 16.6 % of urban population2004: 18.3 % of urban population2005: 20 % of urban population2006: 21.6 % of urban population2007: 23.3 % of urban population2008: 25 % of urban population2009: 26 % of urban population2010: 28.5 % of urban population2011: 30.3 % of urban population2012: 32.1 % of urban population2013: 33.9 % of urban population2014: 35.6 % of urban population2015: 37.4 % of urban population2016: 39.2 % of urban population

Source: World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014. Measured in % of urban population.

Analysis

North Korea recorded 39.2% for access to electricity in 2016. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.

That represents a change of up 4.8% on the previous year and up 81.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, access to electricity in North Korea peaked at 39.2% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1990.

North Korea ranks 212th of 217 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Access to electricity in North Korea, year by year

Annual values for Access to electricity (% of urban population) in North Korea, 1990 to 2016.
Year % of urban population Change
1990 0.0%
1991 0.0% +185.5%
1992 0.2% +487.4%
1993 0.6% +282.1%
1994 1.2% +86.8%
1995 3.0% +148.9%
1996 4.7% +59.4%
1997 6.5% +36.9%
1998 8.2% +26.7%
1999 10.0% +20.8%
2000 11.6% +17.0%
2001 13.3% +14.4%
2002 15.0% +12.5%
2003 16.6% +11.0%
2004 18.3% +9.9%
2005 20.0% +9.1%
2006 21.6% +8.4%
2007 23.3% +7.8%
2008 25.0% +7.3%
2009 26.0% +3.9%
2010 28.5% +9.7%
2011 30.3% +6.2%
2012 32.1% +5.9%
2013 33.9% +5.6%
2014 35.6% +5.3%
2015 37.4% +5.0%
2016 39.2% +4.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.4% 0.0% 10.0% 10
2000s 19.1% 11.6% 26.0% 10
2010s 33.9% 28.5% 39.2% 7

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 209 Democratic Republic of Congo 47.2% compare
  2. 210 Sierra Leone 46.9% compare
  3. 211 Malawi 42.0% compare
  4. 213 Central African Republic 34.1% compare
  5. 214 Liberia 34.0% compare
  6. 215 Chad 31.4% compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More reference data data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is access to electricity in North Korea?
Access to electricity in North Korea was 39.2% in 2016, according to World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014.
What is the highest access to electricity recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 39.2% in 2016.
What is the lowest access to electricity recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1990.
How does North Korea rank for access to electricity?
North Korea ranks 212th out of 217 countries with data for 2016.
Is access to electricity rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 81.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this North Korea data come from?
The figures come from World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014, published as part of Access to electricity (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Access to electricity in North Korea. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/access-to-electricity-percent-of-urban-population/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Access to electricity (% of urban population)
Unit
% of urban population
Source
World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
219 places, 5,825 data points, 1990–2016
Last refreshed

Access to electricity is the percentage of total population with access to electricity.