What is the highest particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 recorded in North Korea?

The highest recorded value was 31.42 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014.

What is the lowest particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 recorded in North Korea?

The lowest recorded value was 20.84 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.

How does North Korea rank for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017?

North Korea ranks 75th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.

Is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 rising or falling in North Korea?

Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this North Korea data come from?

The figures come from Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in North Korea

Name: Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in North Korea
Creator: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

North Korea: Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 was 21.78 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)

21.78 micrograms per cubic meter

Change on year

up 4.5%

World rank

75th

of 200 countries

All-time high

31.42 micrograms per cubic meter

in 2014

All-time low

20.84 micrograms per cubic meter

in 2022

Years of data

1990–2023

Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in North Korea, 1990–2023

Source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.

Analysis

North Korea recorded 21.78 micrograms per cubic meter for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.5% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in North Korea peaked at 31.42 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014 and was at its lowest, 20.84 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2022.

North Korea ranks 75th of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1990s	25.36 micrograms per cubic meter	24.65 micrograms per cubic meter	25.77 micrograms per cubic meter	10
2000s	26.8 micrograms per cubic meter	25.6 micrograms per cubic meter	28.49 micrograms per cubic meter	10
2010s	25.37 micrograms per cubic meter	21.23 micrograms per cubic meter	31.42 micrograms per cubic meter	10
2020s	21.77 micrograms per cubic meter	20.84 micrograms per cubic meter	22.42 micrograms per cubic meter	4

Countries ranked near North Korea

72 Israel 21.9 micrograms per cubic meter compare
73 South Korea 21.89 micrograms per cubic meter compare
74 North Macedonia 21.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
76 Jamaica 21.65 micrograms per cubic meter compare
77 Indonesia 20.84 micrograms per cubic meter compare
78 Nicaragua 20.42 micrograms per cubic meter compare

See the full ranking of 200 places →

More reference data data for North Korea

Temperature anomalies by month -2.22 °C (2026)
Spring temperature anomalies 2.29 °C (2026)
Summer temperature anomalies 0.3103 °C (2026)
Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
Winter temperature anomalies 0.9637 °C (2025)
Autumn temperature anomalies 2 °C (2025)
Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Democracy 1 (2025)
Precipitation anomalies 127.56 millimeters (2025)
Free country 0 (2025)

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in North Korea?: Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in North Korea was 21.78 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, according to Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 recorded in North Korea?: The highest recorded value was 31.42 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014.
What is the lowest particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 recorded in North Korea?: The lowest recorded value was 20.84 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
How does North Korea rank for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017?: North Korea ranks 75th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
Is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 rising or falling in North Korea?: Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this North Korea data come from?: The figures come from Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017
Unit: micrograms per cubic meter
Source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 200 places, 6,800 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Population-weighted average level of exposure to concentrations of suspended particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter. Exposure is measured in micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³).