Criora

North Korea

Region Asia Subregion Eastern Asia Income Low income ISO PRK

North Korea sits mid-pack overall, with governance the main pressure.

Live events

In real time

Hourly disaster feed, shown alongside the standing risk below. Open the live map →
Standing risk

How risky is North Korea, overall?

The composite and its five dimensions. Higher means more risk.

Composite risk
Medium
54 / 100
Very lowLowMediumHighCritical
  1. Climate
    Medium
    54 / 100
  2. Nature
    Low
    39 / 100
    ▲ + 0.8 5y
  3. Social
    Low
    27 / 100
  4. Governance
    Critical
    81 / 100
  5. Adaptation
    High
    66 / 100
    ▼ -0.1 5y
Climate futures

North Korea: outlook from 2050 to 2100

Projected physical change under a moderate (SSP2-4.5) and a high (SSP5-8.5) emissions pathway.

By 2080 under a high-emissions pathway, North Korea is projected to warm +4.1 °C, with annual rainfall changing +152 mm.

Temperature

+4.1 °C

20502080
Higher emissions SSP5-8.5
+3.0 °C → +4.1 °C
Lower emissions SSP2-4.5
+2.6 °C → +2.8 °C

Hottest month +3.8 °C by 2080 (SSP5-8.5).

Precipitation

+152 mm

20502080
Higher emissions SSP5-8.5
+112 mm → +152 mm
Lower emissions SSP2-4.5
+95 mm → +99 mm

Driest month +2 mm by 2080 (SSP5-8.5).

Sea level

North Korea: under high emissions, severe coastal flooding could reach 8 of its largest cities.

Most exposed cities

PopulationFlood depth

Coastal sea-level rise

20502100
Higher emissions SSP5-8.5
+0.23 m → +0.81 m
Lower emissions SSP2-4.5
+0.20 m → +0.55 m

Water stress

7.5%

20502080
Higher emissions SSP5-8.5
7.5% → 7.5%
Current path SSP3-7.0
7.5% → 7.5%

Share of land under high or extreme water stress; 7.4% today.

River flooding

2.7%

20502080
Higher emissions SSP5-8.5
2.1% → 2.7%
Lower emissions SSP2-4.5
2.3% → 2.2%

Land exposed to a 100-year river flood; 2.6% today.

Regional estimate for the country's coast (IPCC AR6 median), not the global average.

Projections from public CMIP6 (WorldClim 2.1, 5-model median, against a 1970-2000 baseline), WRI Aqueduct 4.0 and IPCC AR6 data. Monthly and bioclimatic aggregates, not daily-threshold indices. Forward-looking estimates, not a re-scored site risk.

Score a site

But what about your location?

The country score is an average. Get the full risk breakdown for one address or point inside North Korea.

Where exactly?

Type an address, city, or landmark and we resolve it to a precise risk profile for that point.

orpinpoint it on the map →
Pinpoint on the map Map of North Korea Open the map →
Hazard exposure

Which hazards threaten North Korea most?

Physical hazard intensity. INFORM Risk Index, 0 to 10.

Flood
High
6.5 / 10
Peers

North Korea in global context

Risk-ranked against its cohorts. Click any country to open its page.

subregion
Eastern Asia
#5 of 5median 43
  1. 1South KoreaLow 37
  2. 2JapanMedium 41
  3. 3ChinaMedium 43
  4. 4MongoliaMedium 45
  5. 5North KoreaMedium 54
region
Asia
#36 of 48median 47
  1. 32LaosMedium 52
  2. 33LebanonMedium 53
  3. 34NepalMedium 53
  4. 35TurkmenistanMedium 53
  5. 36North KoreaMedium 54
  6. 37IndonesiaMedium 54
  7. 38CambodiaMedium 55
  8. 39PhilippinesMedium 56
  9. 40IranMedium 56
  10. 41IndiaMedium 57
income group
Low income
#12 of 37median 55
  1. 8GuineaMedium 53
  2. 9Guinea-BissauMedium 53
  3. 10KenyaMedium 53
  4. 11NepalMedium 53
  5. 12North KoreaMedium 54
  6. 13Burkina FasoMedium 54
  7. 14GambiaMedium 54
  8. 15EritreaMedium 54
  9. 16BeninMedium 54
  10. 17MalawiMedium 54

Put two countries head to head

Compare North Korea against any neighbour on all risks and their 5-year trajectory.

Compare ↗ Score a site here
Indicators

Indicator panel

Every source-level indicator behind the dimensions above. Sort by score, value, or name.

FAQ

Common questions

Answer-first, drawn from the same data above.

How risky is North Korea?
North Korea sits mid-pack overall, with governance the main pressure. Its overall risk score is 54 out of 100 (medium), blended from World Bank, INFORM Risk Index and ND-GAIN Country Index.
What drives North Korea's risk?
North Korea's highest pressures are governance (81, critical) and adaptation (66). Its strongest area is social (27).
How might North Korea's climate change by 2080?
Under a high-emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5), about 12% of North Korea's land shifts toward a warmer climate zone by 2080, lifting its climate-hazard pressure index from 71 to 71 out of 100. This Koppen-based outlook is a separate, forward-looking measure from the historical ND-GAIN scores.
How much will North Korea warm by 2080?
Under a high-emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5), North Korea is on track to warm by +4.1 °C by 2080, with annual precipitation changing by +152 mm; under lower emissions (SSP2-4.5) the warming is about +2.8 °C. Based on CMIP6 multi-model projections against a 1970-2000 baseline.
How much will sea levels rise along North Korea's coast?
Coastal sea level along North Korea is projected to rise by +0.81 m by 2100 under a high-emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5), and by about +0.55 m under lower emissions (SSP2-4.5). Based on the regional median of IPCC AR6 projections.
How will water stress change in North Korea?
The share of North Korea under high water stress is projected to move from 7.4% today to 7.5% by 2080 under a high-emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5). Based on WRI Aqueduct projections.
How will river-flood exposure change in North Korea?
The share of North Korea exposed to river flooding is projected to move from 2.6% today to 2.7% by 2080 under a high-emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5). Based on WRI Aqueduct riverine-flood projections.
When was North Korea's risk data last updated?
Updated August 2026, drawing on World Bank, INFORM Risk Index and ND-GAIN Country Index.