+4.1 °C
Temperature
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).
North Korea Climate risk profile and hazard map
- Region
- Asia
- Subregion
- Eastern Asia
- Income
- Low income
- ISO
- PRK
North Korea: mid-pack overall, with governance the main pressure.
Live events
Hourly disaster feed, shown alongside the standing risk below. Open the live mapHow risky is North Korea, overall?
The composite and its five dimensions. Higher means more risk.
Medium 51 / 100
5y
- 54 Climate Medium
- 39 Nature +0.8 Low
- 17 Social Very low
- 79 Governance High
- 66 Adaptation -0.1 High
Which hazards threaten North Korea most?
Physical hazard intensity. INFORM Risk Index, 0 to 10.
- 6.5FloodHigh
North Korea in global context
Risk-ranked against its cohorts. Click any country to open its page.
5
Eastern Asia
#5 of 5 · median 4329
Asia
#29 of 48 · median 475
Low income
#5 of 37 · median 55Put two countries head to head
Compare with any neighbour on all risks and their 5-year trajectory.
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.
+152 mm
Precipitation
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).
7.5%
Water stress
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.
2.7%
River flooding
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.
Sea level
North Korea: under high emissions, a 100-year coastal flood in 2080 could reach 8 of its largest cities.
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
Largest exposed cities
PopulationMax depth
Max depth: the deepest water within 12 km of the city center in a 100-year coastal flood in 2080, under RCP8.5 with high-end sea-level rise (95th percentile), ignoring flood defenses and land subsidence. Source: WRI Aqueduct Floods.
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.
Indicator panel
Every source-level indicator behind the dimensions above. Sort by score, value, or name.
Coastal Protection Needed | 97.7 % coast | 97.0 |
Access to Clean Fuels | 13.9 % population | 86.1 |
Renewable Energy Share | 14.7 % of total energy | 84.7 |
Fossil Fuel Consumption | 85.1 % of total | 84.4 |
Energy Imports | 4.90 % of energy use | 69.2 |
Flood Risk | 6.50 0-10 | 65.0 |
Drought Index (SPEI) | 0.22 index | 60.3 |
Heating Degree Days | 7312 degree days | 50.2 |
Renewable Electricity Share | 63.2 % of total | 36.8 |
Coal Electricity Share | 34.9 % of total | 36.2 |
Land Surface Temperature | 13.2 deg C change | 35.9 |
PM2.5 Air Pollution | 29.9 ug/m3 | 31.2 |
Energy Intensity | 6.48 MJ/$2017 PPP GDP | 30.6 |
Cooling Degree Days | 561 degree days | 7.7 |
CO2 Emissions Per Capita | 2.01 metric tons | 6.3 |
Energy Use Per Capita | 641 kg oil eq per capita | 3.4 |
N2O Emissions Per Capita | 0.10 kt CO2e per capita | 2.3 |
Heat Index | 0.00 index | 0.0 |
Projected Climate-Related Deaths | 1.00 0-1 | 100.0 |
Environmental Treaties Engagement | 1.00 0-1 | 100.0 |
Protected Areas | 1.30 % of land | 98.7 |
Paved Roads | 0.98 0-1 | 98.0 |
Projected Marine Biodiversity Loss | 0.90 0-1 | 90.2 |
Projected Warm Period Change | 0.87 0-1 | 86.9 |
Projected Biome Distribution Change | 0.80 0-1 | 80.0 |
Food Production Index | 92.7 index | 79.7 |
Dam Capacity | 0.80 0-1 | 79.6 |
Health Expenditure Per Capita | 0.74 0-1 | 74.1 |
Projected Vector Disease Change | 0.72 0-1 | 72.1 |
Projected Cereal Yield Change | 0.67 0-1 | 66.8 |
Urban Concentration | 0.60 0-1 | 60.3 |
Freshwater Withdrawal | 12.9 % of internal resources | 57.0 |
Agricultural Capacity | 0.49 0-1 | 49.3 |
Projected Annual Runoff Change | 0.48 0-1 | 47.6 |
Forest Area | 49.7 % of land | 47.4 |
Earthquake Risk | 4.40 0-10 | 44.0 |
Electricity Access | 0.43 0-1 | 42.9 |
Projected Hydropower Change | 0.42 0-1 | 42.2 |
Age Dependency Ratio | 0.41 0-1 | 41.2 |
Rural Population | 0.40 0-1 | 39.7 |
Access to Reliable Drinking Water | 0.34 0-1 | 34.0 |
Projected Groundwater Change | 0.31 0-1 | 31.3 |
Population Below 5m | 0.30 0-1 | 29.5 |
Agricultural Land | 21.5 % of land | 25.1 |
Natural Capital Dependency | 0.22 0-1 | 21.8 |
Projected Population Change | 0.14 0-1 | 13.9 |
Water Dependency Ratio | 0.13 0-1 | 13.2 |
Freshwater Withdrawal Rate | 0.11 0-1 | 11.1 |
Projected Flood Hazard Change | 0.10 0-1 | 10.4 |
Child Malnutrition | 0.10 0-1 | 10.3 |
Tsunami Risk | 1.00 0-10 | 10.0 |
Projected Sea Level Rise Impact | 0.09 0-1 | 8.8 |
Threatened Mammal Species | 10.0 count | 5.2 |
Energy Import Dependency | 0.05 0-1 | 4.9 |
Water Stress | 27.7 % | 0.7 |
Tree Cover Loss | 13743 hectares | 0.2 |
Food Security | 9.60 0-10 | 96.0 |
Undernourishment | 45.3 % population | 80.8 |
Net Migration | -1997 persons | 55.0 |
Primary School Enrollment | 93.2 % gross | 51.2 |
Access to Electricity | 57.5 % population | 44.9 |
Education Expenditure | 15.1 % of govt | 41.8 |
Life Expectancy | 73.6 years | 39.9 |
Health Conditions | 3.80 0-10 | 38.0 |
Safe Drinking Water | 66.5 % population | 35.7 |
Overweight Adults | 37.0 % adults | 32.9 |
Aging Population | 12.0 % population | 30.1 |
Fertility Rate | 1.78 births per woman | 19.6 |
Communicable Disease Deaths | 12.8 % | 18.0 |
Children Under 5 | 1.70 0-10 | 17.0 |
Gender Labor Ratio | 89.6 ratio F/M | 15.4 |
Under-5 Mortality Rate | 18.0 per 1,000 | 14.6 |
Unemployment Rate | 2.83 % | 7.7 |
Population Density | 219 people/km2 | 1.2 |
Aid Dependency | 0.00 0-10 | 0.0 |
Development and Deprivation | 0.00 0-10 | 0.0 |
Recent Shocks | 0.00 0-10 | 0.0 |
Uprooted People | 0.00 0-10 | 0.0 |
Labor Participation | 88.8 % (15+) | 0.0 |
Adult Literacy Rate | 100.0 % | 0.0 |
Scientific Articles | 263 count | 100.0 |
Patent Applications | 6937 count | 99.5 |
Regulatory Quality | -2.39 -2.5 to +2.5 | 97.7 |
Voice and Accountability | -1.98 -2.5 to +2.5 | 89.6 |
Rule of Law | -1.64 -2.5 to +2.5 | 82.9 |
Control of Corruption | -1.58 -2.5 to +2.5 | 81.7 |
INFORM Governance Index | 8.00 0-10 | 80.0 |
Government Effectiveness | -1.48 -2.5 to +2.5 | 79.7 |
Women in Parliament | 17.6 % seats | 71.2 |
Political Stability | -0.37 -2.5 to +2.5 | 57.3 |
Communication Infrastructure | 4.30 0-10 | 43.0 |
Physical Infrastructure | 3.40 0-10 | 34.0 |
Healthcare Access | 0.50 0-10 | 5.0 |
Rule of Law (Readiness) | 0.03 0-1 | 96.8 |
Control of Corruption (Readiness) | 0.06 0-1 | 93.9 |
Education (Readiness) | 0.16 0-1 | 83.8 |
Regulatory Quality (Readiness) | 0.19 0-1 | 81.4 |
ICT Infrastructure | 0.29 0-1 | 71.4 |
Political Stability (Readiness) | 0.51 0-1 | 49.3 |
Innovation (Readiness) | 1.00 0-1 | 0.0 |
These indicators have site-level resolution. Score your exact location.
Score a site in North Korea →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.
Common questions
Answer-first, drawn from the same data above.
How risky is North Korea?
North Korea: mid-pack overall, with governance the main pressure. Its overall risk score is 51 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 (79, high) and adaptation (66). Its strongest area is social (17).
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 September 2026, drawing on World Bank, INFORM Risk Index and ND-GAIN Country Index.