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
Latest (2025)
417.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
119th
of 213 countries
All-time high
518.81 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 2018
All-time low
415.51 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
Years of data
26
2000–2025
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.
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in South Korea, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 461.59 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 2001 | 475.31 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 472.79 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 457.89 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 462.61 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 449.59 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 451.18 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 473.64 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 477.26 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 495.28 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 500.21 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 497.09 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 501.89 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 511.75 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 493.39 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 487.64 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 489.38 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 511.48 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 518.81 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 496.97 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -4.2% |
| 2020 | 457.63 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -7.9% |
| 2021 | 459.46 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 438.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 427.29 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 415.51 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.8% |
| 2025 | 417.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 417.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour is above the median for high income countries, which is 417.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, 1.0× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 417.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 519.46 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, 80% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
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
- 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 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.
Download this data
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.