Annual CO₂ emissions from coal in South Korea
South Korea: Annual CO₂ emissions from coal was 247.47 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Annual CO₂ emissions from coal in South Korea, 1905–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 247.47 million tonnes for annual co₂ emissions from coal in 2024.
The figure is down 6.2% on the previous year and down 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from coal in South Korea peaked at 340.35 million tonnes in 2018 and was at its lowest, 771 tonnes, in 1905.
South Korea ranks 8th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 4,532 tonnes | 771 tonnes | 8,292 tonnes | 2 |
| 1910s | 21,963 tonnes | 10,413 tonnes | 32,012 tonnes | 9 |
| 1920s | 76,500 tonnes | 40,304 tonnes | 130,940 tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 282,569 tonnes | 123,419 tonnes | 592,016 tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.08 million tonnes | 483,620 tonnes | 2.17 million tonnes | 9 |
| 1950s | 4.87 million tonnes | 1.68 million tonnes | 8.89 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 17.68 million tonnes | 10.24 million tonnes | 23.41 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 31.35 million tonnes | 23.28 million tonnes | 46.00 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 77.83 million tonnes | 49.42 million tonnes | 98.92 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 112.57 million tonnes | 91.32 million tonnes | 145.63 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 209.42 million tonnes | 163.88 million tonnes | 262.39 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 323.99 million tonnes | 295.05 million tonnes | 340.35 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 270.21 million tonnes | 247.47 million tonnes | 283.91 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More climate change data for South Korea
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.2% (2100)
- Population growth -0.1% (2025)
- Population, total 51.68 million (2025)
- Urban population growth -0.1% (2025)
- Urban population 41.95 million (2025)
- Urban population 81.2% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 11.29 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 20.71 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 11.29 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 11.29 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from coal in South Korea?
- Annual co₂ emissions from coal in South Korea was 247.47 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual co₂ emissions from coal recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 340.35 million tonnes in 2018.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from coal recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 771 tonnes in 1905.
- How does South Korea rank for annual co₂ emissions from coal?
- South Korea ranks 8th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from coal rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual CO₂ emissions from coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 115 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured in tonnes.