In 2022, almost two-thirds of North Korea’s electricity came from low-carbon sources, with hydropower alone supplying about 63% of the total. Fossil fuels provided the remaining 37%, mostly coal, which accounted for about 35% of all electricity. This means North Korea already has a predominantly clean electricity mix, but coal still plays a substantial role, contributing to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in North Korea?

North Korea’s electricity consumption per person remains far below its historical peak. In 2022, consumption was about 1,010 kWh per person, roughly 700 kWh—or 41%—below the record of about 1,710 kWh reached in 1988. Low-carbon electricity generation was also below its peak: about 636 kWh per person in 2022, compared with 739 kWh in 1990, a decline of about 103 kWh, or 14%. These comparisons do not establish the latest year-to-year trend, but they show a concerning long-term shortfall rather than sustained growth beyond previous records. Expanding clean electricity would help meet existing needs and future demand from electrification.

Suggestions

To increase low-carbon electricity generation, North Korea could build on its hydropower base while expanding solar and wind and considering civilian nuclear electricity under international safeguards. Nearby regions offer useful examples: South Korea generates a quarter of its electricity from nuclear, while China generates about 12% from solar and 11% from wind, and Japan obtains about 11% from solar. These examples offer lessons in developing a more diversified clean electricity supply, although their percentages are not forecasts for North Korea. France, where nuclear supplies about two-thirds of electricity, illustrates nuclear’s potential contribution, while North Macedonia’s 40% solar share demonstrates how substantial solar generation can become. Grid improvements alongside new generation would help translate these investments into more available electricity.

History

The reported history of North Korea’s low-carbon electricity is dominated by changes in hydropower. Selected gains during the 1980s totaled 5 TWh, including a 2 TWh increase in 1988, but the listed declines during the 1990s totaled about 5 TWh. The 2000s brought increases in 2003 and 2008, followed by a 1.6 TWh drop in 2009. Generation remained volatile during the 2010s: a sharp 3 TWh decline in 2015 was largely reversed by a 2.8 TWh rebound in 2016, with further alternating losses and gains through 2019. Encouraging increases of 1.8 TWh in 2020 and 3.3 TWh in 2021 marked a strong recovery in those years. Overall, these fluctuations underline the value of sustained growth and a broader low-carbon electricity mix.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade