CO₂ emissions by sector in South Korea
South Korea: CO₂ emissions by sector was 41.59 million tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
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.
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
- 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 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.