North Korea is a low-income country in East Asia and the Pacific with 26.6 million people. Heat makes up 80% of the energy it uses, well above the world average of about 47%.
Coal is the largest source of heat (91%). Almost all of the heat, 92%, comes from coal, oil and gas. Electricity makes up 11% of energy use and is generated mainly from hydropower (63%).
The country
| Population | 26.6 million2025 |
|---|---|
| Area | 120,500 km²2024 |
| Urban population | 64%2025 |
| Access to electricity | 61%2024 |
| Access to clean cooking | 22%2024 |
| Final energy use | 168 TWh2023 |
Where the energy goes
Final energy use in North Korea, 2023: 168 TWh.
- Heat80%
- Electricity11%
- Transport9%
Heat in five numbers
| Heatshare of all final energy use | 80% |
|---|---|
| Fossil heatshare of heat that comes from coal, oil and gas | 92% |
| Coalthe largest single source of heat | 91% |
| Electricityshare of final energy use, excluding transport | 11% |
| Fossil electricityshare of electricity generated from coal, oil and gas | 37% |
Heat is all fuel and district heating used in industry, buildings and agriculture. Electricity that becomes heat, for example in electric cookers and water heaters, is counted as electricity because no data is available, so the true heat share is somewhat higher.
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