Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in South Korea
South Korea: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 845.64 tonnes in 2026. ▲ Rising
Annual PM2.5 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 845.64 tonnes for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 90.4% on the previous year and down 73.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in South Korea peaked at 8,853 tonnes in 2025 and was at its lowest, 845.64 tonnes, in 2026.
That places South Korea 114th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2,574 tonnes | 1,628 tonnes | 3,520 tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 3,031 tonnes | 2,229 tonnes | 5,093 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 5,021 tonnes | 845.64 tonnes | 8,853 tonnes | 7 |
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 pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in South Korea?
- Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in South Korea was 845.64 tonnes in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 8,853 tonnes in 2025.
- What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 845.64 tonnes in 2026.
- How does South Korea rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
- South Korea ranks 114th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 73.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 PM2.5 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
PM2.5 emissions represent the quantity of fine particulate matter (diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) released by wildfires, in tonnes. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.