Fixed telephone subscriptions in North Korea

North Korea: Fixed telephone subscriptions was 1.18 million in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
1.18 million
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
62nd
of 214 countries
All-time high
1.18 million
in 2022
All-time low
500,000
in 1983
Years of data
39
1983–2022

Fixed telephone subscriptions in North Korea, 1983–2022

0250.0k500.0k750.0k1.0M1.2M1983200220221983: 500.0k1984: 500.0k1985: 500.0k1986: 500.0k1987: 500.0k1988: 500.0k1989: 500.0k1990: 500.0k1991: 500.0k1992: 500.0k1993: 500.0k1994: 500.0k1995: 500.0k1996: 500.0k1997: 500.0k1998: 500.0k1999: 500.0k2000: 500.0k2001: 860.0k2002: 916.0k2003: 980.0k2004: 1.0M2005: 1.0M2006: 1.0M2007: 1.2M2008: 1.2M2009: 1.2M2010: 1.2M2011: 1.2M2012: 1.2M2013: 1.2M2014: 1.2M2015: 1.2M2016: 1.2M2017: 1.2M2019: 1.2M2020: 1.2M2021: 1.2M2022: 1.2M

Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Analysis

The most recent figure for fixed telephone subscriptions in North Korea is 1.18 million, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fixed telephone subscriptions in North Korea peaked at 1.18 million in 2022 and was at its lowest, 500,000, in 1983.

That places North Korea 62nd out of 214 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.

Fixed telephone subscriptions in North Korea, year by year

Annual values for Fixed telephone subscriptions in North Korea, 1983 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1983 500,000
1984 500,000 +0.0%
1985 500,000 +0.0%
1986 500,000 +0.0%
1987 500,000 +0.0%
1988 500,000 +0.0%
1989 500,000 +0.0%
1990 500,000 +0.0%
1991 500,000 +0.0%
1992 500,000 +0.0%
1993 500,000 +0.0%
1994 500,000 +0.0%
1995 500,000 +0.0%
1996 500,000 +0.0%
1997 500,000 +0.0%
1998 500,000 +0.0%
1999 500,000 +0.0%
2000 500,000 +0.0%
2001 860,000 +72.0%
2002 916,000 +6.5%
2003 980,000 +7.0%
2004 1.00 million +2.0%
2005 1.00 million +0.0%
2006 1.00 million +0.0%
2007 1.18 million +18.0%
2008 1.18 million +0.0%
2009 1.18 million +0.0%
2010 1.18 million +0.0%
2011 1.18 million +0.0%
2012 1.18 million +0.0%
2013 1.18 million +0.0%
2014 1.18 million +0.0%
2015 1.18 million +0.0%
2016 1.18 million +0.0%
2017 1.18 million +0.0%
2019 1.18 million +0.0%
2020 1.18 million +0.0%
2021 1.18 million +0.0%
2022 1.18 million +0.0%

North Korea compared with similar countries

  • North Korea's 1.18 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 44,127, 26.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • North Korea's 1.18 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 81,260, 14.5× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 500,000 500,000 500,000 7
1990s 500,000 500,000 500,000 10
2000s 979,600 500,000 1.18 million 10
2010s 1.18 million 1.18 million 1.18 million 9
2020s 1.18 million 1.18 million 1.18 million 3

Countries ranked near North Korea

  1. 59 Ecuador 1.22 million compare
  2. 60 Libya 1.22 million compare
  3. 61 Uruguay 1.21 million compare
  4. 63 Czechia 1.16 million compare
  5. 64 Dominican Republic 1.15 million compare
  6. 65 Croatia 1.10 million compare

See the full ranking of 261 places →

More infrastructure data for North Korea

All data for North Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is fixed telephone subscriptions in North Korea?
Fixed telephone subscriptions in North Korea was 1.18 million in 2022, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
What is the highest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in North Korea?
The highest recorded value was 1.18 million in 2022.
What is the lowest fixed telephone subscriptions recorded in North Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 500,000 in 1983.
How does North Korea rank for fixed telephone subscriptions?
North Korea ranks 62nd out of 214 countries with data for 2022.
Is fixed telephone subscriptions rising or falling in North Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this North Korea data come from?
The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), published as part of Fixed telephone subscriptions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Fixed telephone subscriptions in North Korea. Statizoid, drawing on World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/fixed-telephone-subscriptions/korea-dem-people-s-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Fixed telephone subscriptions
Source
World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
261 places, 14,489 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Fixed telephone subscriptions refers to the sum of active number of analogue fixed telephone lines, voice-over-IP (VoIP) subscriptions, fixed wireless local loop (WLL) subscriptions, ISDN voice-channel equivalents and fixed public payphones.