People using at least basic sanitation facilities in North Korea
North Korea: People using at least basic sanitation facilities was 22.41 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
People using at least basic sanitation facilities in North Korea, 2002–2023
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 22.41 million people for people using at least basic sanitation facilities in 2023. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using at least basic sanitation facilities in North Korea peaked at 22.41 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 18.00 million people, in 2002.
North Korea ranks 47th of 232 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
People using at least basic sanitation facilities in North Korea, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 18.00 million people | — |
| 2003 | 18.12 million people | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 18.24 million people | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 18.35 million people | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 18.45 million people | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 18.71 million people | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 18.97 million people | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 19.24 million people | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 19.50 million people | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 19.76 million people | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 20.04 million people | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 20.31 million people | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 20.60 million people | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 20.89 million people | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 21.18 million people | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 21.47 million people | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 21.76 million people | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 22.03 million people | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 22.13 million people | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 22.22 million people | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 22.32 million people | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 22.41 million people | +0.4% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 22.41 million people is above the median for low income countries, which is 8.45 million people, 2.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 22.41 million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.02 million people, 21.9× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.51 million people | 18.00 million people | 19.24 million people | 8 |
| 2010s | 20.75 million people | 19.50 million people | 22.03 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.27 million people | 22.13 million people | 22.41 million people | 4 |
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 people using at least basic sanitation facilities in North Korea?
- People using at least basic sanitation facilities in North Korea was 22.41 million people in 2023, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people using at least basic sanitation facilities recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 22.41 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest people using at least basic sanitation facilities recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.00 million people in 2002.
- How does North Korea rank for people using at least basic sanitation facilities?
- North Korea ranks 47th out of 232 countries with data for 2023.
- Is people using at least basic sanitation facilities rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People using at least basic sanitation facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people using improved sanitation facilities that are not shared with other households.