Germany vs South Korea: Annual CO₂ emissions from coal
Germany
162.64 million tonnes
in 2024
South Korea
247.47 million tonnes
in 2024
Germany rank
11th
South Korea rank
8th
Annual CO₂ emissions from coal over time
- Germany
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 247.47 million tonnes against 162.64 million tonnes in Germany, a difference of 84.83 million tonnes.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.5 times Germany's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 115 shared years of data; in 1905 it was Germany ahead.
Germany ranks 11th and South Korea ranks 8th of 179 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 12 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 410.64 million tonnes | 4,532 tonnes | 410.63 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1910s | 475.00 million tonnes | 21,963 tonnes | 474.98 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1920s | 452.97 million tonnes | 76,500 tonnes | 452.89 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1930s | 468.35 million tonnes | 282,569 tonnes | 468.07 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1940s | 511.05 million tonnes | 1.08 million tonnes | 509.97 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1950s | 634.32 million tonnes | 4.87 million tonnes | 629.45 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1960s | 706.22 million tonnes | 17.68 million tonnes | 688.54 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1970s | 553.29 million tonnes | 31.35 million tonnes | 521.93 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1980s | 559.67 million tonnes | 77.83 million tonnes | 481.84 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1990s | 430.75 million tonnes | 112.57 million tonnes | 318.18 million tonnes | Germany |
| 2000s | 365.52 million tonnes | 209.42 million tonnes | 156.10 million tonnes | Germany |
| 2010s | 325.32 million tonnes | 323.99 million tonnes | 1.33 million tonnes | Germany |
| 2020s | 203.78 million tonnes | 270.21 million tonnes | 66.43 million tonnes | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual co₂ emissions from coal, Germany or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 247.47 million tonnes against 162.64 million tonnes in Germany as of 2024.
- What is the difference in annual co₂ emissions from coal between Germany and South Korea?
- 84.83 million tonnes, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and South Korea?
- 115 years are reported by both, from 1905 to 2024.
- How do Germany and South Korea rank globally for annual co₂ emissions from coal?
- Germany ranks 11th and South Korea ranks 8th of 179 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Annual CO₂ emissions from coal. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured in tonnes.