North Korea Solar Power: Generation, Share and Trend
North Korea generated 170 GWh of electricity from solar in 2024, 0.6% of its total, according to Ember. That made it the 104th largest solar power producer in 2024 of the 180 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year. Solar supplied 7.0% of the world's electricity in 2024. These are annual statistics for 2024; they are compiled from national sources and are not real time.
Key Facts
- North Korea generated 170 GWh of electricity from solar in 2024.
- Solar supplied 0.6% of North Korea's electricity in 2024.
- North Korea was the 104th largest solar power producer in 2024 among the 180 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year.
- North Korea's solar generation in 2024 was 113% higher than in 2019, when it was 80.0 GWh.
- North Korea's solar generation in 2024 was 17 times the 2014 level of 10.0 GWh.
- 2024 was North Korea's highest year for solar generation in Ember's records, which start in 2000.
- North Korea's solar share in 2024 was below the world share of 7.0%.
- North Korea had 140 MW of solar generating capacity in 2024.
Key Figures, 2024
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Solar generation | 170 GWh | 2024 · Ember |
| Share of North Korea's electricity | 0.6% | 2024 · Ember |
| World share of solar | 7.0% | 2024 · Ember |
| Rank by solar generation (each country's latest year) | 104 of 180 | 2024 · Ember |
| Solar capacity | 140 MW | 2024 · Ember |
Solar Generation Year by Year
Ember annual statistics, 2000 to 2024Annual statistics through 2024, GWh
| Year | Solar |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 TWh |
| 2001 | 0 TWh |
| 2002 | 0 TWh |
| 2003 | 0 TWh |
| 2004 | 0 TWh |
| 2005 | 0 TWh |
| 2006 | 0 TWh |
| 2007 | 0 TWh |
| 2008 | 0 TWh |
| 2009 | 0 TWh |
| 2010 | 0 TWh |
| 2011 | 0 TWh |
| 2012 | 0 TWh |
| 2013 | 10.0 GWh |
| 2014 | 10.0 GWh |
| 2015 | 30.0 GWh |
| 2016 | 40.0 GWh |
| 2017 | 50.0 GWh |
| 2018 | 60.0 GWh |
| 2019 | 80.0 GWh |
| 2020 | 100 GWh |
| 2021 | 130 GWh |
| 2022 | 150 GWh |
| 2023 | 150 GWh |
| 2024 | 170 GWh |
Annual statistics through 2024, % of generation
| Year | North Korea | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2010 | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2011 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | 1.1% |
| 2016 | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | 1.8% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | 2.2% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 2.6% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | 3.2% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | 3.7% |
| 2022 | 0.6% | 4.6% |
| 2023 | 0.6% | 5.6% |
| 2024 | 0.6% | 7.0% |
| Year | Generation | Share | World share | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 170 GWh | 0.6% | 7.0% | 140 MW |
| 2023 | 150 GWh | 0.6% | 5.6% | 130 MW |
| 2022 | 150 GWh | 0.6% | 4.6% | 120 MW |
| 2021 | 130 GWh | 0.5% | 3.7% | 100 MW |
| 2020 | 100 GWh | 0.4% | 3.2% | 80 MW |
| 2019 | 80.0 GWh | 0.3% | 2.6% | 60 MW |
| 2018 | 60.0 GWh | 0.2% | 2.2% | 50 MW |
| 2017 | 50.0 GWh | 0.2% | 1.8% | 40 MW |
| 2016 | 40.0 GWh | 0.2% | 1.3% | 30 MW |
| 2015 | 30.0 GWh | 0.2% | 1.1% | 20 MW |
Full year by year history for North Korea
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2024. World shares are Ember's World totals; ranks compare each country's latest year, which can differ between countries.