Number of airline passengers per year in North Korea

North Korea: Number of airline passengers per year was 3,690 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
3,690
Change on year
up 604.5%
World rank
173rd
of 183 countries
All-time high
371,004
in 2013
All-time low
523.76
in 2021
Years of data
48
1970–2023

Number of airline passengers per year in North Korea, 1970–2023

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k197019962023

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for number of airline passengers per year in North Korea is 3,690, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 604.5% on the previous year and down 99.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of airline passengers per year in North Korea peaked at 371,004 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 523.76, in 2021.

North Korea ranks 173rd of 183 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 169,200 165,000 184,000 5
1980s 200,000 184,400 220,400 10
1990s 209,280 64,000 280,000 10
2000s 94,246 75,046 110,634 10
2010s 120,196 73,052 371,004 10
2020s 2,592 523.76 3,690 3

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 170 Burundi 12,000 compare
  2. 171 Guyana 7,512 compare
  3. 172 Niger 5,775 compare
  4. 174 Malawi 3,507 compare
  5. 175 Slovakia 1,925 compare
  6. 176 Slovenia 1,866 compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of airline passengers per year in North Korea?
Number of airline passengers per year in North Korea was 3,690 in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest number of airline passengers per year recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 371,004 in 2013.
What is the lowest number of airline passengers per year recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 523.76 in 2021.
How does North Korea rank for number of airline passengers per year?
North Korea ranks 173rd out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
Is number of airline passengers per year rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 99.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this North Korea data come from?
The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of airline passengers per year. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Number of airline passengers per year
Source
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
183 places, 7,925 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

This represents the total rather than unique passenger activity: this means a person who makes multiple trips is counted multiple times.