South Korea vs Vietnam: Greenhouse gas emissions
South Korea
630.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2024
Vietnam
583.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2024
South Korea rank
15th
Vietnam rank
17th
Greenhouse gas emissions over time
- South Korea
- Vietnam
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 630.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents against 583.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in Vietnam, a difference of 47.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.1 times Vietnam's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 175 shared years of data; in 1850 it was Vietnam ahead.
South Korea ranks 15th and Vietnam ranks 17th of 199 countries.
Across the 18 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 5 and Vietnam in 13.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Vietnam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 9.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 33.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 23.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1860s | 8.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 34.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 26.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1870s | 8.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 51.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 43.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1880s | 7.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 67.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 59.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1890s | 7.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 77.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 69.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1900s | 7.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 82.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 74.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1910s | 14.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 76.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 62.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1920s | 21.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 48.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 26.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1930s | 21.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 38.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 17.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1940s | 28.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 34.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1950s | 30.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 100.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 70.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1960s | 53.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 113.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 60.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1970s | 115.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 125.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1980s | 206.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 118.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 88.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Korea |
| 1990s | 393.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 202.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 190.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Korea |
| 2000s | 529.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 315.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 213.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Korea |
| 2010s | 671.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 458.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 212.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Korea |
| 2020s | 641.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 559.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 82.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher greenhouse gas emissions, South Korea or Vietnam?
- South Korea, at 630.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents against 583.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in Vietnam as of 2024.
- What is the difference in greenhouse gas emissions between South Korea and Vietnam?
- 47.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Vietnam?
- 175 years are reported by both, from 1850 to 2024.
- How do South Korea and Vietnam rank globally for greenhouse gas emissions?
- South Korea ranks 15th and Vietnam ranks 17th of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Greenhouse gas emissions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.