Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities (Our) in North Korea

North Korea: Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities (Our) was 85.45 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
85.45
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
179th
of 232 countries
All-time high
85.45
in 2023
All-time low
80.46
in 2002
Years of data
22
2002–2023

Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in North Korea, 2002–2023

0204060802002201220232002: 80.52003: 80.52004: 80.52005: 80.52006: 80.52007: 80.92008: 81.22009: 81.62010: 81.92011: 82.32012: 82.72013: 832014: 83.42015: 83.72016: 84.12017: 84.52018: 84.92019: 85.22020: 85.32021: 85.32022: 85.42023: 85.5

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2023, share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in North Korea stood at 85.45. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in North Korea peaked at 85.45 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 80.46, in 2002.

North Korea ranks 179th of 232 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities (Our) in North Korea, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in North Korea, 2002 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2002 80.46 —
2003 80.48 +0.0%
2004 80.49 +0.0%
2005 80.5 +0.0%
2006 80.52 +0.0%
2007 80.86 +0.4%
2008 81.2 +0.4%
2009 81.56 +0.4%
2010 81.92 +0.4%
2011 82.29 +0.4%
2012 82.65 +0.4%
2013 83.02 +0.4%
2014 83.38 +0.4%
2015 83.75 +0.4%
2016 84.12 +0.4%
2017 84.49 +0.4%
2018 84.86 +0.4%
2019 85.24 +0.4%
2020 85.29 +0.1%
2021 85.34 +0.1%
2022 85.4 +0.1%
2023 85.45 +0.1%

North Korea compared with similar countries

  • North Korea's 85.45 is above the median for low income countries, which is 57.78, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • North Korea's 85.45 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 97.55, 88% of the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 80.76 80.46 81.56 8
2010s 83.57 81.92 85.24 10
2020s 85.37 85.29 85.45 4

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 176 Bolivia 87.95 compare
  2. 177 East Timor 87.43 compare
  3. 178 Myanmar 85.95 compare
  4. 180 Dominica 83.54 compare
  5. 181 Guatemala 82.55 compare
  6. 182 Senegal 79.76 compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More population data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in North Korea?
Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in North Korea was 85.45 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population using improved sanitation facilities recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 85.45 in 2023.
What is the lowest share of the population using improved sanitation facilities recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 80.46 in 2002.
How does North Korea rank for share of the population using improved sanitation facilities?
North Korea ranks 179th out of 232 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of the population using improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this North Korea data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities in North Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-using-improved-sanitation-facilities/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population using improved sanitation facilities
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
232 places, 5,597 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed