Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in South Korea
South Korea: Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity was 417.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2025. ▬ Flat
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in South Korea, 2000–2025
Source: Ember (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 417.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour for lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and down 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in South Korea peaked at 518.81 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2018 and was at its lowest, 415.51 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, in 2024.
That places South Korea 119th out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 467.71 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 449.59 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 495.28 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 500.86 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 487.64 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 518.81 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 435.84 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 415.51 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 459.46 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 116 Madagascar 432.1 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 117 French Polynesia 430.56 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 118 Togo 422.54 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 120 Palestine 414.14 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 121 Cote d'Ivoire 405.01 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 122 Czechia 401.46 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
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 lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in South Korea?
- Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in South Korea was 417.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2025, according to Ember (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 518.81 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2018.
- What is the lowest lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 415.51 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2024.
- How does South Korea rank for lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity?
- South Korea ranks 119th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Greenhouse gases emitted per unit of generated electricity, measured in grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour.