Average annual surface temperature in North Korea
North Korea: Average annual surface temperature was 8.33 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
8.33
Change on year
down 7.4%
World rank
173rd
of 193 countries
All-time high
9
in 2024
All-time low
3.87
in 1947
Years of data
86
1940–2025
Average annual surface temperature in North Korea, 1940–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 8.33 for average annual surface temperature in 2025.
That represents a change of down 7.4% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual surface temperature in North Korea peaked at 9 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.87, in 1947.
North Korea ranks 173rd of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.
Average annual surface temperature in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 4.89 | — |
| 1941 | 5.08 | +4.0% |
| 1942 | 5.69 | +11.8% |
| 1943 | 5.9 | +3.7% |
| 1944 | 5.69 | -3.5% |
| 1945 | 4.79 | -15.9% |
| 1946 | 5.99 | +25.1% |
| 1947 | 3.87 | -35.4% |
| 1948 | 6.49 | +68.0% |
| 1949 | 5.76 | -11.4% |
| 1950 | 5.91 | +2.7% |
| 1951 | 5.77 | -2.4% |
| 1952 | 5.51 | -4.5% |
| 1953 | 5.32 | -3.5% |
| 1954 | 5.7 | +7.1% |
| 1955 | 5.96 | +4.7% |
| 1956 | 4.35 | -27.1% |
| 1957 | 5.54 | +27.5% |
| 1958 | 6.71 | +21.1% |
| 1959 | 7.03 | +4.8% |
| 1960 | 6.53 | -7.1% |
| 1961 | 7.1 | +8.7% |
| 1962 | 6.12 | -13.7% |
| 1963 | 6.04 | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 6.47 | +7.2% |
| 1965 | 5.74 | -11.2% |
| 1966 | 5.86 | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 5.95 | +1.6% |
| 1968 | 6.23 | +4.7% |
| 1969 | 5.37 | -13.8% |
| 1970 | 5.78 | +7.6% |
| 1971 | 5.87 | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 6.31 | +7.5% |
| 1973 | 6.38 | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 5.6 | -12.3% |
| 1975 | 6.87 | +22.8% |
| 1976 | 5.73 | -16.6% |
| 1977 | 6.58 | +14.7% |
| 1978 | 6.59 | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 6.63 | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 5.6 | -15.5% |
| 1981 | 5.9 | +5.2% |
| 1982 | 6.76 | +14.7% |
| 1983 | 6.75 | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 5.84 | -13.5% |
| 1985 | 5.92 | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 5.8 | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 6.45 | +11.1% |
| 1988 | 6.53 | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 7.49 | +14.6% |
| 1990 | 7.5 | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 6.78 | -9.6% |
| 1992 | 6.84 | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 6.5 | -4.9% |
| 1994 | 7.45 | +14.5% |
| 1995 | 6.57 | -11.9% |
| 1996 | 6.38 | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 6.89 | +7.9% |
| 1998 | 7.85 | +14.0% |
| 1999 | 7.3 | -7.0% |
| 2000 | 6.65 | -9.0% |
| 2001 | 6.82 | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 7 | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 7.23 | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 7.6 | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 6.46 | -15.0% |
| 2006 | 7.39 | +14.4% |
| 2007 | 7.74 | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 7.62 | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 7.16 | -6.1% |
| 2010 | 6.75 | -5.7% |
| 2011 | 6.79 | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 6.45 | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 6.86 | +6.4% |
| 2014 | 7.68 | +11.9% |
| 2015 | 7.82 | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 7.65 | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 7.37 | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 7.29 | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 8.17 | +12.0% |
| 2020 | 7.91 | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 8.03 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 7.32 | -8.9% |
| 2023 | 8.38 | +14.6% |
| 2024 | 9 | +7.4% |
| 2025 | 8.33 | -7.4% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 8.33 is below the median for low income countries, which is 26.29, 32% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 8.33 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 24.82, 34% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Average annual surface temperature in North Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | +68.0% | 3.87 | 6.49 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 5.41 | 3.87 | 6.49 | 10 |
| 1950s | 5.78 | 4.35 | 7.03 | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.14 | 5.37 | 7.1 | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.24 | 5.6 | 6.87 | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.31 | 5.6 | 7.49 | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.01 | 6.38 | 7.85 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.17 | 6.46 | 7.74 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.28 | 6.45 | 8.17 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.16 | 7.32 | 9 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More reference data data for North Korea
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Enteric Fermentation 91.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - IPCC Agriculture 245.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.66 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Manure Management 325.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3562 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 6,873 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Manure Management 11.62 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual surface temperature in North Korea?
- Average annual surface temperature in North Korea was 8.33 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average annual surface temperature recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 9 in 2024.
- What is the lowest average annual surface temperature recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.87 in 1947.
- How does North Korea rank for average annual surface temperature?
- North Korea ranks 173rd out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is average annual surface temperature rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Average annual surface temperature. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).