Hong Kong vs South Korea: CO₂ emissions embedded in trade
Hong Kong
111.21 million tonnes
in 2023
South Korea
119.69 million tonnes
in 2023
Hong Kong rank
10th
South Korea rank
7th
CO₂ emissions embedded in trade over time
- Hong Kong
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 119.69 million tonnes against 111.21 million tonnes in Hong Kong, a difference of 8.48 million tonnes.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.1 times Hong Kong's.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Korea ahead.
Hong Kong ranks 10th and South Korea ranks 7th of 120 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Hong Kong averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Hong Kong | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 45.00 million tonnes | 68.88 million tonnes | 23.88 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 2000s | 50.28 million tonnes | 78.36 million tonnes | 28.08 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 2010s | 81.06 million tonnes | 54.69 million tonnes | 26.37 million tonnes | Hong Kong |
| 2020s | 102.79 million tonnes | 105.35 million tonnes | 2.56 million tonnes | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions embedded in trade, Hong Kong or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 119.69 million tonnes against 111.21 million tonnes in Hong Kong as of 2023.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions embedded in trade between Hong Kong and South Korea?
- 8.48 million tonnes, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Hong Kong and South Korea?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Hong Kong and South Korea rank globally for co₂ emissions embedded in trade?
- Hong Kong ranks 10th and South Korea ranks 7th of 120 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions embedded in trade. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual net carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions embedded in trade, measured in tonnes.