Japan vs South Korea: Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector
Japan
721.07 kilograms per person
in 2023
South Korea
803.69 kilograms per person
in 2023
Japan rank
28th
South Korea rank
26th
Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 803.69 kilograms per person against 721.07 kilograms per person in Japan, a difference of 82.62 kilograms per person.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.1 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Korea ahead.
Japan ranks 28th and South Korea ranks 26th of 187 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,061 kilograms per person | 1,373 kilograms per person | 312.18 kilograms per person | South Korea |
| 2000s | 1,146 kilograms per person | 1,133 kilograms per person | 12.52 kilograms per person | Japan |
| 2010s | 920.25 kilograms per person | 961.49 kilograms per person | 41.24 kilograms per person | South Korea |
| 2020s | 783.91 kilograms per person | 862.31 kilograms per person | 78.4 kilograms per person | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher per capita co₂ emissions by sector, Japan or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 803.69 kilograms per person against 721.07 kilograms per person in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in per capita co₂ emissions by sector between Japan and South Korea?
- 82.62 kilograms per person, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for per capita co₂ emissions by sector?
- Japan ranks 28th and South Korea ranks 26th of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Emissions are measured in kilograms per person.