South Korea vs Saudi Arabia: CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change
South Korea
583.68 million tonnes
in 2024
Saudi Arabia
692.13 million tonnes
in 2024
South Korea rank
9th
Saudi Arabia rank
8th
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change over time
- South Korea
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 692.13 million tonnes against 583.68 million tonnes in South Korea, a difference of 108.45 million tonnes.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.2 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 9 times across 89 shared years of data; in 1936 it was South Korea ahead.
South Korea ranks 9th and Saudi Arabia ranks 8th of 215 countries.
Across the 10 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 5 and Saudi Arabia in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 447,747 tonnes | 472,655 tonnes | 24,908 tonnes | Saudi Arabia |
| 1940s | 988,493 tonnes | 11.91 million tonnes | 10.93 million tonnes | Saudi Arabia |
| 1950s | 6.09 million tonnes | 1.65 million tonnes | 4.43 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 1960s | 25.73 million tonnes | 12.69 million tonnes | 13.03 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 1970s | 84.72 million tonnes | 92.49 million tonnes | 7.76 million tonnes | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 168.96 million tonnes | 179.17 million tonnes | 10.21 million tonnes | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 355.02 million tonnes | 251.94 million tonnes | 103.08 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 2000s | 494.26 million tonnes | 399.38 million tonnes | 94.88 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 2010s | 635.26 million tonnes | 614.06 million tonnes | 21.19 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 2020s | 598.69 million tonnes | 677.11 million tonnes | 78.42 million tonnes | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change, South Korea or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 692.13 million tonnes against 583.68 million tonnes in South Korea as of 2024.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change between South Korea and Saudi Arabia?
- 108.45 million tonnes, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Saudi Arabia?
- 89 years are reported by both, from 1936 to 2024.
- How do South Korea and Saudi Arabia rank globally for co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change?
- South Korea ranks 9th and Saudi Arabia ranks 8th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in tonnes.