Belgium vs South Korea: Cumulative CO₂ emissions from coal
Belgium
7.57 billion tonnes
in 2024
South Korea
9.14 billion tonnes
in 2024
Belgium rank
17th
South Korea rank
16th
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from coal over time
- Belgium
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 9.14 billion tonnes against 7.57 billion tonnes in Belgium, a difference of 1.57 billion tonnes.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.2 times Belgium's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 115 shared years of data; in 1905 it was Belgium ahead.
Belgium ranks 17th and South Korea ranks 16th of 179 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 12 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 1.87 billion tonnes | 4,917 tonnes | 1.87 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 1910s | 2.27 billion tonnes | 101,027 tonnes | 2.27 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 1920s | 2.84 billion tonnes | 540,324 tonnes | 2.84 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 1930s | 3.62 billion tonnes | 2.12 million tonnes | 3.62 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 1940s | 4.27 billion tonnes | 8.39 million tonnes | 4.26 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 1950s | 4.95 billion tonnes | 33.98 million tonnes | 4.92 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 1960s | 5.64 billion tonnes | 148.92 million tonnes | 5.49 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 1970s | 6.15 billion tonnes | 392.83 million tonnes | 5.76 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 1980s | 6.58 billion tonnes | 933.61 million tonnes | 5.64 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 1990s | 6.96 billion tonnes | 1.90 billion tonnes | 5.06 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 2000s | 7.26 billion tonnes | 3.52 billion tonnes | 3.74 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 2010s | 7.45 billion tonnes | 6.31 billion tonnes | 1.14 billion tonnes | Belgium |
| 2020s | 7.55 billion tonnes | 8.62 billion tonnes | 1.07 billion tonnes | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cumulative co₂ emissions from coal, Belgium or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 9.14 billion tonnes against 7.57 billion tonnes in Belgium as of 2024.
- What is the difference in cumulative co₂ emissions from coal between Belgium and South Korea?
- 1.57 billion tonnes, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and South Korea?
- 115 years are reported by both, from 1905 to 2024.
- How do Belgium and South Korea rank globally for cumulative co₂ emissions from coal?
- Belgium ranks 17th and South Korea ranks 16th of 179 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Cumulative CO₂ emissions from coal. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal since the first year of available data, measured in tonnes.