Iran vs South Korea: Carbon dioxide emissions by income level
Iran
792.63 million tonnes
in 2024
South Korea
583.68 million tonnes
in 2024
Iran rank
7th
South Korea rank
9th
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level over time
- Iran
- South Korea
How they compare
Iran currently reports 792.63 million tonnes against 583.68 million tonnes in South Korea, a difference of 208.95 million tonnes.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.4 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 10 times across 113 shared years of data; in 1911 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 7th and South Korea ranks 9th of 215 countries.
Across the 12 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 9 and South Korea in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 1.70 million tonnes | 23,406 tonnes | 1.68 million tonnes | Iran |
| 1920s | 12.77 million tonnes | 76,500 tonnes | 12.69 million tonnes | Iran |
| 1930s | 24.45 million tonnes | 290,663 tonnes | 24.16 million tonnes | Iran |
| 1940s | 41.23 million tonnes | 988,493 tonnes | 40.24 million tonnes | Iran |
| 1950s | 13.67 million tonnes | 6.09 million tonnes | 7.58 million tonnes | Iran |
| 1960s | 55.12 million tonnes | 25.73 million tonnes | 29.39 million tonnes | Iran |
| 1970s | 135.76 million tonnes | 84.72 million tonnes | 51.04 million tonnes | Iran |
| 1980s | 150.77 million tonnes | 168.96 million tonnes | 18.19 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 1990s | 266.10 million tonnes | 355.02 million tonnes | 88.92 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 2000s | 455.48 million tonnes | 494.26 million tonnes | 38.79 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 2010s | 636.62 million tonnes | 635.26 million tonnes | 1.36 million tonnes | Iran |
| 2020s | 774.92 million tonnes | 598.69 million tonnes | 176.23 million tonnes | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher carbon dioxide emissions by income level, Iran or South Korea?
- Iran, at 792.63 million tonnes against 583.68 million tonnes in South Korea as of 2024.
- What is the difference in carbon dioxide emissions by income level between Iran and South Korea?
- 208.95 million tonnes, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and South Korea?
- 113 years are reported by both, from 1911 to 2024.
- How do Iran and South Korea rank globally for carbon dioxide emissions by income level?
- Iran ranks 7th and South Korea ranks 9th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Carbon dioxide emissions by income level. 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.