People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per in North Korea
North Korea: People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per was 21.75 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per in North Korea, 2002–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per in North Korea stood at 21.75 people per square kilometre. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per in North Korea peaked at 24.27 people per square kilometre in 2006 and was at its lowest, 21.75 people per square kilometre, in 2023.
That places North Korea 27th out of 171 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per in North Korea, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 23.88 people per square kilometre | — |
| 2003 | 23.98 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 24.1 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 24.19 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 24.27 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 24.17 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 24.07 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 23.91 people per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 23.73 people per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 23.55 people per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 23.37 people per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 23.2 people per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 23.03 people per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 22.86 people per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 22.68 people per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 22.49 people per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 22.28 people per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 22.06 people per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 22 people per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 21.93 people per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 21.85 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 21.75 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 21.75 people per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 19.87 people per square kilometre, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 21.75 people per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.67 people per square kilometre, 3.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24.07 people per square kilometre | 23.88 people per square kilometre | 24.27 people per square kilometre | 8 |
| 2010s | 22.93 people per square kilometre | 22.06 people per square kilometre | 23.73 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.88 people per square kilometre | 21.75 people per square kilometre | 22 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 24 Guatemala 23.4 people per square kilometre compare
- 25 Lesotho 22.51 people per square kilometre compare
- 26 Yemen 22.43 people per square kilometre compare
- 28 Guinea 21.48 people per square kilometre compare
- 29 Afghanistan 20.1 people per square kilometre compare
- 30 Mozambique 19.87 people per square kilometre compare
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) - 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) - IPCC Agriculture 6,873 (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 in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per in North Korea?
- People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per in North Korea was 21.75 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 24.27 people per square kilometre in 2006.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.75 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- How does North Korea rank for people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per?
- North Korea ranks 27th out of 171 countries with data for 2023.
- Is people in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
People in rural areas not using improved sanitation facilities divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.