Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in South Korea
South Korea: Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires was 261,986 tonnes in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in South Korea, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 261,986 tonnes for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 92.6% on the previous year and down 69.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in South Korea peaked at 3.53 million tonnes in 2025 and was at its lowest, 261,986 tonnes, in 2026.
South Korea ranks 122nd of 248 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in South Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 455,227 tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 871,270 tonnes | +91.4% |
| 2005 | 769,346 tonnes | -11.7% |
| 2006 | 655,979 tonnes | -14.7% |
| 2007 | 643,068 tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 744,222 tonnes | +15.7% |
| 2009 | 733,499 tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 739,270 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 868,457 tonnes | +17.5% |
| 2012 | 655,496 tonnes | -24.5% |
| 2013 | 561,568 tonnes | -14.3% |
| 2014 | 765,630 tonnes | +36.3% |
| 2015 | 652,080 tonnes | -14.8% |
| 2016 | 867,730 tonnes | +33.1% |
| 2017 | 704,565 tonnes | -18.8% |
| 2018 | 1.42 million tonnes | +101.3% |
| 2019 | 852,822 tonnes | -39.9% |
| 2020 | 1.36 million tonnes | +59.4% |
| 2021 | 766,675 tonnes | -43.6% |
| 2022 | 1.33 million tonnes | +74.0% |
| 2023 | 1.32 million tonnes | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 1.34 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 3.53 million tonnes | +164.2% |
| 2026 | 261,986 tonnes | -92.6% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 261,986 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 41,059 tonnes, 6.4× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 261,986 tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 92,130 tonnes, 2.8× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 696,087 tonnes | 455,227 tonnes | 871,270 tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 808,616 tonnes | 561,568 tonnes | 1.42 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.42 million tonnes | 261,986 tonnes | 3.53 million tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More climate change data for South Korea
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.1 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7164 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.8996 °C (2026)
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.2% (2100)
- Population, total, annual growth rate -0.1285 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1214 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.8117 units per person (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate -78.08 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in South Korea?
- Annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in South Korea was 261,986 tonnes in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 3.53 million tonnes in 2025.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 261,986 tonnes in 2026.
- How does South Korea rank for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires?
- South Korea ranks 122nd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 69.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon dioxide released by wildfires in tonnes. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.