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
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.
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
- 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 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.