CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in South Korea
South Korea: CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change was 580.06 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in South Korea, 1905–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in South Korea stood at 580.06 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in South Korea peaked at 667.20 million tonnes in 2018 and was at its lowest, -95,179 tonnes, in 1909.
That places South Korea 12th out of 194 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 26,900 tonnes | -95,179 tonnes | 148,980 tonnes | 2 |
| 1910s | 6.95 million tonnes | 2.99 million tonnes | 11.19 million tonnes | 9 |
| 1920s | 13.74 million tonnes | 11.70 million tonnes | 16.68 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 9.16 million tonnes | 7.86 million tonnes | 12.72 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 8.33 million tonnes | 6.72 million tonnes | 9.43 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 5.94 million tonnes | 3.96 million tonnes | 6.86 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 28.15 million tonnes | 5.70 million tonnes | 44.01 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 84.53 million tonnes | 54.44 million tonnes | 132.96 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 168.63 million tonnes | 133.51 million tonnes | 224.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 352.73 million tonnes | 250.14 million tonnes | 441.68 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 490.72 million tonnes | 437.24 million tonnes | 534.69 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 632.01 million tonnes | 590.45 million tonnes | 667.20 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 594.01 million tonnes | 580.06 million tonnes | 609.34 million tonnes | 5 |
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 from fossil fuels and land-use change in South Korea?
- Co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in South Korea was 580.06 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 667.20 million tonnes in 2018.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -95,179 tonnes in 1909.
- How does South Korea rank for co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change?
- South Korea ranks 12th out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 116 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), including land-use change, measured in tonnes.