Adoption of communication technologies in North Korea
North Korea: Adoption of communication technologies was 1.18 million in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
1.18 million
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
62nd
of 212 countries
All-time high
1.18 million
in 2022
All-time low
500,000
in 1983
Years of data
39
1983–2022
Adoption of communication technologies in North Korea, 1983–2022
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 1.18 million for adoption of communication technologies in 2022. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adoption of communication technologies in North Korea peaked at 1.18 million in 2022 and was at its lowest, 500,000, in 1983.
That places North Korea 62nd out of 212 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Adoption of communication technologies in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 500,000 | — |
| 1984 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 500,000 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 860,000 | +72.0% |
| 2002 | 916,000 | +6.5% |
| 2003 | 980,000 | +7.0% |
| 2004 | 1.00 million | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 1.00 million | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.00 million | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.18 million | +18.0% |
| 2008 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.18 million | +0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 1.18 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 44,127, 26.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 1.18 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 81,260, 14.5× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 500,000 | 500,000 | 500,000 | 7 |
| 1990s | 500,000 | 500,000 | 500,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 979,600 | 500,000 | 1.18 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.18 million | 1.18 million | 1.18 million | 9 |
| 2020s | 1.18 million | 1.18 million | 1.18 million | 3 |
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 - 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 (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Manure Management 325.47 (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 adoption of communication technologies in North Korea?
- Adoption of communication technologies in North Korea was 1.18 million in 2022, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest adoption of communication technologies recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.18 million in 2022.
- What is the lowest adoption of communication technologies recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 500,000 in 1983.
- How does North Korea rank for adoption of communication technologies?
- North Korea ranks 62nd out of 212 countries with data for 2022.
- Is adoption of communication technologies rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Adoption of communication technologies. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).