Japan vs South Korea: Annual CO₂ emissions from coal
Japan
380.97 million tonnes
in 2024
South Korea
247.47 million tonnes
in 2024
Japan rank
5th
South Korea rank
8th
Annual CO₂ emissions from coal over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
Japan currently reports 380.97 million tonnes against 247.47 million tonnes in South Korea, a difference of 133.51 million tonnes.
That makes Japan's figure about 1.5 times South Korea's.
Across all 115 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
Japan ranks 5th and South Korea ranks 8th of 179 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 32.87 million tonnes | 4,532 tonnes | 32.87 million tonnes | Japan |
| 1910s | 55.37 million tonnes | 21,963 tonnes | 55.35 million tonnes | Japan |
| 1920s | 79.63 million tonnes | 76,500 tonnes | 79.56 million tonnes | Japan |
| 1930s | 100.85 million tonnes | 282,569 tonnes | 100.57 million tonnes | Japan |
| 1940s | 114.81 million tonnes | 1.08 million tonnes | 113.73 million tonnes | Japan |
| 1950s | 117.13 million tonnes | 4.87 million tonnes | 112.25 million tonnes | Japan |
| 1960s | 170.87 million tonnes | 17.68 million tonnes | 153.19 million tonnes | Japan |
| 1970s | 207.15 million tonnes | 31.35 million tonnes | 175.80 million tonnes | Japan |
| 1980s | 253.95 million tonnes | 77.83 million tonnes | 176.11 million tonnes | Japan |
| 1990s | 322.96 million tonnes | 112.57 million tonnes | 210.39 million tonnes | Japan |
| 2000s | 406.21 million tonnes | 209.42 million tonnes | 196.80 million tonnes | Japan |
| 2010s | 448.10 million tonnes | 323.99 million tonnes | 124.12 million tonnes | Japan |
| 2020s | 397.59 million tonnes | 270.21 million tonnes | 127.38 million tonnes | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual co₂ emissions from coal, Japan or South Korea?
- Japan, at 380.97 million tonnes against 247.47 million tonnes in South Korea as of 2024.
- What is the difference in annual co₂ emissions from coal between Japan and South Korea?
- 133.51 million tonnes, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 115 years are reported by both, from 1905 to 2024.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for annual co₂ emissions from coal?
- Japan ranks 5th 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.