Carbon intensity of energy in South Korea
South Korea: Carbon intensity of energy was 159.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
159.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
down 3.1%
World rank
172nd
of 204 countries
All-time high
342.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1967
All-time low
159.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
Years of data
60
1965–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in South Korea, 1965–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
Analysis
The most recent figure for carbon intensity of energy in South Korea is 159.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 60 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.1% on the previous year and down 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in South Korea peaked at 342.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1967 and was at its lowest, 159.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 2024.
That places South Korea 172nd out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Carbon intensity of energy in South Korea, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 340.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1966 | 337.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 342.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.6% |
| 1968 | 316.03 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.8% |
| 1969 | 300.05 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.1% |
| 1970 | 325.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.4% |
| 1971 | 327.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 325.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 317.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.4% |
| 1974 | 317.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 311.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.0% |
| 1976 | 317.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 311.15 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.9% |
| 1978 | 297.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.2% |
| 1979 | 303.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 298.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 296.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 297.69 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 289.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.6% |
| 1984 | 285.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 271.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.8% |
| 1986 | 251.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.3% |
| 1987 | 238.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.2% |
| 1988 | 242.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 236.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 232 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 224.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.3% |
| 1992 | 217.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.2% |
| 1993 | 218.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 217.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 214.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 213.17 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 206.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.2% |
| 1998 | 191.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.2% |
| 1999 | 190.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 193.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 195.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 194.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 192.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 189.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 186.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 184.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 186.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 186.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 186.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 191.66 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 191.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 190.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 193.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 189.36 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 187.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 182.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 185.6 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 186.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 181.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 174.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 171.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 166.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 164.54 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 159.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 159.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for high income countries, which is 184.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 86% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 159.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 214.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 74% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 327.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 300.05 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 342.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 315.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 297.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 327.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 270.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 236.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 298.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 212.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 190.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 232 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 189.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 184.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 195.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 188.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 181.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 193.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 167.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 159.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 174.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 169 Djibouti 160.78 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 170 Nauru 160.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 171 Bahrain 159.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 173 Cook Islands 158.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 174 Hungary 158.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 175 Brazil 158.46 grams of CO₂ 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 carbon intensity of energy in South Korea?
- Carbon intensity of energy in South Korea was 159.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest carbon intensity of energy recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 342.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1967.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 159.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024.
- How does South Korea rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- South Korea ranks 172nd out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Carbon intensity of energy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Fossil carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per unit of total energy supply, measured in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.