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Topic 11 of 18 · Country Index 2026

North Korea: Risk & Resilience

How exposed is a country to crisis, and how ready is it to cope?

North Korea is placed 147th of 193 countries on risk & resilience in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: World Risk Index 11.7 (2025); INFORM Risk Index 3.7 (2025).

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Risk & Resilience

147th

of 193 countries placed

Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics

Not placed in the Country Index 2026 overall: measured on too few topics.

01The evidence

The 4 key statistics that decide it

Only these place North Korea on risk & resilience — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.

Why these keys

  1. Key 1 of 4

    World Risk Index

    Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum

    Why it is a key

    2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0

    11.7

    WorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)

    Lower is better

    North Korea: 11.7. Across the 193 countries in this edition, values run from 0.18 (Monaco) to 46.56 (Philippines); the world median is 4.17.

    World median
    4.17
    Best in Eastern Asia
    1.96 Mongolia
    Land neighbours
    China 30.62 · South Korea 11.01 · Russia 31.22

  2. Key 2 of 4

    INFORM Risk Index

    European Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee

    Why it is a key

    2026 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0 (via the European Commission's reuse policy)

    3.7

    INFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)

    Lower is better

    North Korea: 3.7. Across the 191 countries in this edition, values run from 0.7 (Singapore) to 8.5 (South Sudan); the world median is 3.7.

    World median
    3.7
    Best in Eastern Asia
    2 South Korea
    Land neighbours
    China 2.9 · South Korea 2 · Russia 4

  3. Key 3 of 4

    Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)

    Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame

    Why it is a key

    2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 Unported

    0.513

    ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable)

    Lower is better

    Ranked 148th of 190 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame

    North Korea: 0.513. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 0.263 (Norway) to 0.655 (Mauritania); the world median is 0.45.

    World median
    0.45
    Best in Eastern Asia
    0.353 Japan
    Land neighbours
    China 0.394 · South Korea 0.356 · Russia 0.31

  4. Key 4 of 4

    Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days

    World Bank Group

    Why it is a key

    Latest reading per country, 2021–2024 · CC BY 4.0

    No reading

    Adults who could raise emergency funds within 30 days without great difficulty (% of population aged 15+)

    Higher is better

    World Bank Group publishes no reading from 2021–2024 for North Korea, so the standing rests on the other keys.

    Across the 142 countries at their latest reading, values run from 16.49 (South Sudan) to 93.69 (Sweden); the world median is 53.85.

    World median
    53.85
    Best in Eastern Asia
    88.21 Taiwan
    Land neighbours
    China 83.72 · South Korea 80.95 · Russia 73.78

03In context

North Korea beside its neighbours

A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 193 countries on risk & resilience, never a place within the region.

Eastern Asia
1st193rdNot placed · 31 countries with too few key statisticsNo data

The whole world on risk & resilience

North Korea and the countries it borders

Standing among all 193; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.

CountryStandingWorld Risk IndexWorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)INFORM Risk IndexINFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)ND-GAIN Vulnerability (0–1, where 1 is the most vulnerable)Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 DaysAdults who could raise emergency funds within 30 days without great difficulty (% of population aged 15+)
South Koreacompare=35th11.0120.35680.95
China80th30.622.90.39483.72
Russia86th31.2240.3173.78
North Korea147th11.73.70.513—

“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is

Across Eastern Asia

Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 193.

Placed either side on risk & resilience

The countries immediately above and below North Korea in the topic’s list.

04Context, no vote

Where North Korea is ahead of the world, and behind

15 more statistics filed under risk & resilience, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.

Every country

Ahead of the world median2

Statistics on which North Korea does better than the middle country measured.

  • Days Above 35°CECMWF · 2025 · world median 3.480.35▼ Worsened since 2015

    North Korea: 0.35 · world median 3.48 · Days a year with a maximum temperature above 35°C, averaged over the country’s land. World Bank Group (Climate Change Knowledge Portal), from Copernicus ERA5 (ECMWF), 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 222.89; lower is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources per CapitaFAO · 2022 · world median 2,5282,545No real change since 2012

    North Korea: 2,545 · world median 2,528 · Renewable internal freshwater (cubic metres per person). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 445,023; higher is better.

    Position 90th of 181 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2022 dataset

Behind the world median9

Statistics on which North Korea does worse than the middle country measured.

  • Climate Readiness (ND-GAIN)Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 2024 · world median 0.3870.38▲ Improved since 2014

    North Korea: 0.38 · world median 0.387 · ND-GAIN Readiness (0–1, where 1 is the most ready). Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.137 to 0.749; higher is better.

    Ranked 103rd of 192 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Political Stability and Absence of ViolenceWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 0.1710.084▲ Improved since 2015

    North Korea: 0.084 · world median 0.171 · Political Stability estimate (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from -2.506 to 1.563; higher is better.

    Position 116th of 211 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Baseline Water Stress (Aqueduct)WRI · 2019 · world median 1.6632.322No earlier reading

    North Korea: 2.322 · world median 1.663 · Baseline water stress score (0–5). World Resources Institute (WRI), 2023 edition, data for 2019.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5; lower is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • ND-GAIN Country IndexNotre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 2024 · world median 47.4443.33No real change since 2014

    North Korea: 43.33 · world median 47.44 · ND-GAIN Index (0–100, where 100 is best placed to adapt). Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 26.42 to 71.85; higher is better.

    Ranked 124th of 190 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Water StressFAO · 2023 · world median 1027.74No real change since 2013

    North Korea: 27.74 · world median 10 · Freshwater withdrawal as a share of available resources (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.03 to 3,851; lower is better.

    Position 57th of 177 · derived, 1st = worst.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • INFORM Severity IndexACAPS · 2025 · world median 3.13.8▼ Worsened since 2020

    North Korea: 3.8 · world median 3.1 · INFORM Severity (1–5, most severe crisis). ACAPS, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 1.3 to 4.7; lower is better.

    Position 22nd of 81 · derived, 1st = worst.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Children's Climate Risk IndexUNICEF · 2020 · world median 56.9No earlier reading

    North Korea: 6.9 · world median 5 · Children's Climate Risk Index (0–10, higher is more risk). UNICEF, 2021 edition, data for 2020.

    Published values in that edition run from 1 to 8.7; lower is better.

    Ranked 35th of 163 by UNICEF (1st = worst).

    Chart and every countryThe 2021 dataset

  • Drought Risk (Aqueduct)WRI · 2019 · world median 2.6233.169No earlier reading

    North Korea: 3.169 · world median 2.623 · Drought risk score (0–5). World Resources Institute (WRI), 2023 edition, data for 2019.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.553 to 4.081; lower is better.

    Ranked 28th of 138 by WRI (1st = worst).

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Riverine Flood Risk (Aqueduct)WRI · 2019 · world median 2.4034.05No earlier reading

    North Korea: 4.05 · world median 2.403 · Riverine flood risk score (0–5). World Resources Institute (WRI), 2023 edition, data for 2019.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5; lower is better.

    Ranked 23rd of 163 by WRI (1st = worst).

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

No better end4

These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.

  • Temperature Change on LandFAO · 2025 · world median 1.4742.261Moved since 2015

    North Korea: 2.261 · world median 1.474 · Change in mean land-surface temperature against the country's own 1951–1980 average, °C. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.34 to 3.294.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Population Living Below 5 m ElevationCenter for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University · 2015 · world median 2.9544.892No real change since 1990

    North Korea: 4.892 · world median 2.954 · Population living below 5 m elevation (% of total population). Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University, 2015 edition, data for 2015.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 78.48.

    Chart and every countryThe 2015 dataset

  • Burned AreaGWIS · 2025 · world median 13,82410,583Moved since 2015

    North Korea: 10,583 · world median 13,824 · Burned area (hectares). European Commission Joint Research Centre — Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 50,562,035.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Refugees by Country of OriginUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency · 2025 · world median 1,272263Moved since 2015

    North Korea: 263 · world median 1,272 · Refugees under UNHCR's mandate from this country, end of year (people). UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5,224,131.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

No current reading for North Korea

Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days, Adults Who Experienced a Natural Disaster or Severe Weather, Asylum-Seekers by Country of Asylum (last 2015), Firms Whose Assets Were Damaged by Extreme Weather, Global Report on Food Crises (last 2016), Internally Displaced People of Concern to UNHCR, Per Capita Food Supply Variability (last 2018), Refugee Population by Country of Asylum (last 2015), Stateless Persons by Country of Residence and World Risk Poll Resilience Index. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.

“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing

05Country Index 2026

Risk & Resilience among North Korea’s 10 topics

Risk & Resilience is North Korea’s 8th best-placed topic of 10. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.

On the profile
  1. Food & Agriculture49th of 184
  2. Energy51st of 165
  3. Work & Labour81st of 182
  4. Peace & Security94th of 177
  5. Health & Wellbeing115th of 200
  6. Digital & Technology119th of 198
  7. Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 121st of 186
  8. Risk & Resilience147th of 193
  9. Governance & Institutionsjoint 191st of 194
  10. Democracy & Civil Liberties196th of 198

No standing on Economy & Innovation, Education & Knowledge, Development & Human Capital, Gender & Equality, Mobility & Trade, Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.

06The top of the list

Who leads on risk & resilience

The three countries placed highest of 193, and the leaders North Korea can most readily be measured against.

All 193 countries
  1. 1

    Liechtenstein

    Western Europe

    1st of 193 · 2 of 4 keys

    Photo: Guido Radig,Inkey · CC BY 3.0, greyscale

  2. 2

    Luxembourg

    Western Europe

    2nd of 193 · 3 of 4 keys

    Photo: Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale

  3. 3

    Denmark

    Northern Europe

    3rd of 193 · 4 of 4 keys

    Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale

Placed highest nearby

  1. Highest in Asia

    Singapore13th4/4 keys

  2. Highest in Eastern Asia

    South Korea=35th4/4 keys

  3. This page

    North Korea147th3/4 keys

Positions out of 193 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.

07Questions

North Korea on risk & resilience: questions answered

Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.

How does North Korea rank on risk & resilience?

North Korea is placed 147th of 193 countries on Risk & Resilience in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (World Risk Index, INFORM Risk Index and Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN)). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.

What is the latest World Risk Index figure for North Korea?

11.7 in 2025 (worldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk)), according to Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum. The world median in the same edition was 4.17.

What is the latest INFORM Risk Index figure for North Korea?

3.7 in 2025 (iNFORM Risk score (0–10, where 10 is the highest risk)), according to European Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. The world median in the same edition was 3.7.

How does North Korea compare with China on risk & resilience?

China is placed 80th of 193, and North Korea 147th. World Risk Index: China 30.62, North Korea 11.7; INFORM Risk Index: China 2.9, North Korea 3.7; Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN): China 0.394, North Korea 0.513.

How have North Korea’s risk & resilience figures changed?

World Risk Index fell from 11.77 in 2000 to 11.7 in 2025; INFORM Risk Index fell from 4.5 in 2016 to 3.7 in 2025; Climate Vulnerability (ND-GAIN) fell from 0.529 in 2000 to 0.513 in 2024.

Which risk & resilience statistics are missing for North Korea?

No current reading is published for North Korea on Able to Raise Emergency Funds Within 30 Days, Adults Who Experienced a Natural Disaster or Severe Weather, Asylum-Seekers by Country of Asylum, Firms Whose Assets Were Damaged by Extreme Weather, Global Report on Food Crises, Internally Displaced People of Concern to UNHCR, Per Capita Food Supply Variability, Refugee Population by Country of Asylum, Stateless Persons by Country of Residence and World Risk Poll Resilience Index. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.

08Method

Method, sources and how to cite

What this topic does not measure

This topic does not forecast when a disaster will strike, and it does not measure financial or economic risk. Water stress is measured under Environment & Sustainability. Displacement caused by disasters and the severity of crises already under way are published here as context.

About risk & resilience, in full

How the Risk & Resilience standing is decided

A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.

The risk & resilience method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built

The key statistics and their licences

The other 15 statistics on this page come from 10 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.

The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photographs

North Korea’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). North Korea: Risk & Resilience — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/north-korea/risk

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