Average annual surface temperature in North Korea
North Korea: Average annual surface temperature was 8.33 °C in 2025. ▲ Rising
Average annual surface temperature in North Korea, 1940–2025
Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in °C.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 8.33 °C 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 °C in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.87 °C, 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 | °C | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 4.89 °C | — |
| 1941 | 5.08 °C | +4.0% |
| 1942 | 5.69 °C | +11.8% |
| 1943 | 5.9 °C | +3.7% |
| 1944 | 5.69 °C | -3.5% |
| 1945 | 4.79 °C | -15.9% |
| 1946 | 5.99 °C | +25.1% |
| 1947 | 3.87 °C | -35.4% |
| 1948 | 6.49 °C | +68.0% |
| 1949 | 5.76 °C | -11.4% |
| 1950 | 5.91 °C | +2.7% |
| 1951 | 5.77 °C | -2.4% |
| 1952 | 5.51 °C | -4.5% |
| 1953 | 5.32 °C | -3.5% |
| 1954 | 5.7 °C | +7.1% |
| 1955 | 5.96 °C | +4.7% |
| 1956 | 4.35 °C | -27.1% |
| 1957 | 5.54 °C | +27.5% |
| 1958 | 6.71 °C | +21.1% |
| 1959 | 7.03 °C | +4.8% |
| 1960 | 6.53 °C | -7.1% |
| 1961 | 7.1 °C | +8.7% |
| 1962 | 6.12 °C | -13.7% |
| 1963 | 6.04 °C | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 6.47 °C | +7.2% |
| 1965 | 5.74 °C | -11.2% |
| 1966 | 5.86 °C | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 5.95 °C | +1.6% |
| 1968 | 6.23 °C | +4.7% |
| 1969 | 5.37 °C | -13.8% |
| 1970 | 5.78 °C | +7.6% |
| 1971 | 5.87 °C | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 6.31 °C | +7.5% |
| 1973 | 6.38 °C | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 5.6 °C | -12.3% |
| 1975 | 6.87 °C | +22.8% |
| 1976 | 5.73 °C | -16.6% |
| 1977 | 6.58 °C | +14.7% |
| 1978 | 6.59 °C | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 6.63 °C | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 5.6 °C | -15.5% |
| 1981 | 5.9 °C | +5.2% |
| 1982 | 6.76 °C | +14.7% |
| 1983 | 6.75 °C | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 5.84 °C | -13.5% |
| 1985 | 5.92 °C | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 5.8 °C | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 6.45 °C | +11.1% |
| 1988 | 6.53 °C | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 7.49 °C | +14.6% |
| 1990 | 7.5 °C | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 6.78 °C | -9.6% |
| 1992 | 6.84 °C | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 6.5 °C | -4.9% |
| 1994 | 7.45 °C | +14.5% |
| 1995 | 6.57 °C | -11.9% |
| 1996 | 6.38 °C | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 6.89 °C | +7.9% |
| 1998 | 7.85 °C | +14.0% |
| 1999 | 7.3 °C | -7.0% |
| 2000 | 6.65 °C | -9.0% |
| 2001 | 6.82 °C | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 7 °C | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 7.23 °C | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 7.6 °C | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 6.46 °C | -15.0% |
| 2006 | 7.39 °C | +14.4% |
| 2007 | 7.74 °C | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 7.62 °C | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 7.16 °C | -6.1% |
| 2010 | 6.75 °C | -5.7% |
| 2011 | 6.79 °C | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 6.45 °C | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 6.86 °C | +6.4% |
| 2014 | 7.68 °C | +11.9% |
| 2015 | 7.82 °C | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 7.65 °C | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 7.37 °C | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 7.29 °C | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 8.17 °C | +12.0% |
| 2020 | 7.91 °C | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 8.03 °C | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 7.32 °C | -8.9% |
| 2023 | 8.38 °C | +14.6% |
| 2024 | 9 °C | +7.4% |
| 2025 | 8.33 °C | -7.4% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 8.33 °C is below the median for low income countries, which is 26.29 °C, 32% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 8.33 °C is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 24.82 °C, 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 °C | 6.49 °C |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 5.41 °C | 3.87 °C | 6.49 °C | 10 |
| 1950s | 5.78 °C | 4.35 °C | 7.03 °C | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.14 °C | 5.37 °C | 7.1 °C | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.24 °C | 5.6 °C | 6.87 °C | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.31 °C | 5.6 °C | 7.49 °C | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.01 °C | 6.38 °C | 7.85 °C | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.17 °C | 6.46 °C | 7.74 °C | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.28 °C | 6.45 °C | 8.17 °C | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.16 °C | 7.32 °C | 9 °C | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More reference data data for North Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Burning - Crop residues 3.54 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Agricultural Soils 1,939 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.838 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Manure Management 11.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Agricultural 1,939 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Burning - Crop 24.3 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual surface temperature in North Korea?
- Average annual surface temperature in North Korea was 8.33 °C in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average annual surface temperature recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 9 °C in 2024.
- What is the lowest average annual surface temperature recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.87 °C 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 Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by 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).
About this data
Temperature of the air measured 2 meters above the ground, encompassing land, sea, and in-land water surfaces.