South Korea vs United States: CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry type
South Korea
10.18 million tonnes
in 2024
United States
135.34 million tonnes
in 2024
South Korea rank
5th
United States rank
2nd
CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry type over time
- South Korea
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 135.34 million tonnes against 10.18 million tonnes in South Korea, a difference of 125.15 million tonnes.
That makes United States's figure about 13.3 times South Korea's.
Across all 35 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
South Korea ranks 5th and United States ranks 2nd of 46 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.22 million tonnes | 139.15 million tonnes | 134.93 million tonnes | United States |
| 2000s | 5.65 million tonnes | 149.30 million tonnes | 143.65 million tonnes | United States |
| 2010s | 9.34 million tonnes | 133.50 million tonnes | 124.16 million tonnes | United States |
| 2020s | 10.18 million tonnes | 133.37 million tonnes | 123.19 million tonnes | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions by fuel or industry type, South Korea or United States?
- United States, at 135.34 million tonnes against 10.18 million tonnes in South Korea as of 2024.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions by fuel or industry type between South Korea and United States?
- 125.15 million tonnes, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and United States?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2024.
- How do South Korea and United States rank globally for co₂ emissions by fuel or industry type?
- South Korea ranks 5th and United States ranks 2nd of 46 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry type. 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 other industry sources, measured in tonnes.