Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in South Korea
South Korea: Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre was 5,980 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
5,980 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
11th
of 204 countries
All-time high
6,872 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2018
All-time low
149.79 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in South Korea, 1961–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 5,980 tonnes per square kilometre for carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in South Korea peaked at 6,872 tonnes per square kilometre in 2018 and was at its lowest, 149.79 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places South Korea 11th out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in South Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 149.79 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 178.95 tonnes per square kilometre | +19.5% |
| 1963 | 218.57 tonnes per square kilometre | +22.1% |
| 1964 | 230.1 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1965 | 258.95 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.5% |
| 1966 | 310.82 tonnes per square kilometre | +20.0% |
| 1967 | 364.02 tonnes per square kilometre | +17.1% |
| 1968 | 385.62 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1969 | 440.27 tonnes per square kilometre | +14.2% |
| 1970 | 556.88 tonnes per square kilometre | +26.5% |
| 1971 | 606.82 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.0% |
| 1972 | 624.58 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 756.53 tonnes per square kilometre | +21.1% |
| 1974 | 783.23 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 846.63 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 1976 | 965.22 tonnes per square kilometre | +14.0% |
| 1977 | 1,093 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.3% |
| 1978 | 1,173 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.3% |
| 1979 | 1,378 tonnes per square kilometre | +17.5% |
| 1980 | 1,395 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 1,447 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 1,459 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 1,546 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1984 | 1,666 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.8% |
| 1985 | 1,750 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1986 | 1,828 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1987 | 1,922 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1988 | 2,187 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.8% |
| 1989 | 2,317 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1990 | 2,597 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.1% |
| 1991 | 2,858 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.1% |
| 1992 | 3,109 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.8% |
| 1993 | 3,423 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.1% |
| 1994 | 3,687 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 1995 | 3,977 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.9% |
| 1996 | 4,364 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.7% |
| 1997 | 4,613 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1998 | 3,919 tonnes per square kilometre | -15.0% |
| 1999 | 4,256 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 2000 | 4,561 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.2% |
| 2001 | 4,710 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 4,919 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 5,013 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 5,075 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 5,149 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 5,197 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 5,383 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 5,492 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 5,541 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 6,115 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.3% |
| 2011 | 6,415 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 6,453 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 6,513 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 6,460 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 6,508 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 6,543 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 6,713 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 6,872 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 6,620 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 6,123 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.5% |
| 2021 | 6,312 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 6,218 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 6,037 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.9% |
| 2024 | 5,980 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 5,980 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 658.19 tonnes per square kilometre, 9.1× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 5,980 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 356.9 tonnes per square kilometre, 16.8× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 281.9 tonnes per square kilometre | 149.79 tonnes per square kilometre | 440.27 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 878.34 tonnes per square kilometre | 556.88 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,378 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,752 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,395 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,317 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,680 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,597 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,613 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,104 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,561 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,541 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,521 tonnes per square kilometre | 6,115 tonnes per square kilometre | 6,872 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,134 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,980 tonnes per square kilometre | 6,312 tonnes per square kilometre | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 8 Maldives 7,739 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 9 Kuwait 7,268 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 10 Trinidad and Tobago 6,743 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 12 Malta 5,486 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 13 Curacao 5,157 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 14 Aruba 5,115 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for South Korea
- 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)
- Urban population 41.95 million (2025)
- Urban population growth -0.1% (2025)
- Population, total 51.68 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in South Korea?
- Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in South Korea was 5,980 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 6,872 tonnes per square kilometre in 2018.
- What is the lowest carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 149.79 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does South Korea rank for carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre?
- South Korea ranks 11th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Carbon dioxide emissions by income level Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.