CO₂ emissions by sector in South Korea
South Korea: CO₂ emissions by sector was 41.59 million tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
41.59 million tonnes
Change on year
down 7.0%
World rank
13th
of 187 countries
All-time high
70.52 million tonnes
in 1997
All-time low
41.59 million tonnes
in 2023
Years of data
34
1990–2023
CO₂ emissions by sector in South Korea, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for co₂ emissions by sector in South Korea is 41.59 million tonnes, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.0% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions by sector in South Korea peaked at 70.52 million tonnes in 1997 and was at its lowest, 41.59 million tonnes, in 2023.
That places South Korea 13th out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions by sector in South Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 60.01 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 57.92 million tonnes | -3.5% |
| 1992 | 59.12 million tonnes | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 61.63 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1994 | 60.41 million tonnes | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 65.91 million tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1996 | 69.69 million tonnes | +5.7% |
| 1997 | 70.52 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 53.47 million tonnes | -24.2% |
| 1999 | 63.21 million tonnes | +18.2% |
| 2000 | 60.19 million tonnes | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 56.86 million tonnes | -5.5% |
| 2002 | 57.29 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 56.42 million tonnes | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 53.44 million tonnes | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 56.37 million tonnes | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 51.35 million tonnes | -8.9% |
| 2007 | 49.69 million tonnes | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 49.75 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 49.01 million tonnes | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 52.19 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 2011 | 51.73 million tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 50.27 million tonnes | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 48.21 million tonnes | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 43.20 million tonnes | -10.4% |
| 2015 | 45.64 million tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 48.80 million tonnes | +6.9% |
| 2017 | 49.19 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 49.62 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 46.48 million tonnes | -6.3% |
| 2020 | 46.75 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 45.64 million tonnes | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 44.73 million tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 41.59 million tonnes | -7.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 41.59 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.00 million tonnes, 20.7× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 41.59 million tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 405,000 tonnes, 102.7× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 62.19 million tonnes | 53.47 million tonnes | 70.52 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.04 million tonnes | 49.01 million tonnes | 60.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.53 million tonnes | 43.20 million tonnes | 52.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.68 million tonnes | 41.59 million tonnes | 46.75 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
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 co₂ emissions by sector in South Korea?
- Co₂ emissions by sector in South Korea was 41.59 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 70.52 million tonnes in 1997.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.59 million tonnes in 2023.
- How does South Korea rank for co₂ emissions by sector?
- South Korea ranks 13th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes.