Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in South Korea
South Korea: Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita was 11.36 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in South Korea, 1970–2024
Source: Joint Research Centre (European Commission) and International Energy Agency (IEA), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in South Korea stood at 11.36.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in South Korea peaked at 13.19 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.92, in 1971.
That places South Korea 17th out of 203 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.93 | — |
| 1971 | 1.92 | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 1.94 | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 2.34 | +21.0% |
| 1974 | 2.42 | +3.4% |
| 1975 | 2.58 | +6.6% |
| 1976 | 2.84 | +10.0% |
| 1977 | 3.18 | +12.1% |
| 1978 | 3.31 | +4.1% |
| 1979 | 3.7 | +11.7% |
| 1980 | 3.71 | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 3.81 | +2.6% |
| 1982 | 3.74 | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 4.02 | +7.3% |
| 1984 | 4.47 | +11.2% |
| 1985 | 4.63 | +3.7% |
| 1986 | 4.77 | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 4.87 | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 5.44 | +11.8% |
| 1989 | 5.67 | +4.3% |
| 1990 | 6.07 | +7.0% |
| 1991 | 6.75 | +11.2% |
| 1992 | 7.34 | +8.7% |
| 1993 | 7.91 | +7.8% |
| 1994 | 8.46 | +6.9% |
| 1995 | 9.03 | +6.8% |
| 1996 | 9.59 | +6.2% |
| 1997 | 9.99 | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 8.5 | -14.8% |
| 1999 | 9.24 | +8.6% |
| 2000 | 9.92 | +7.4% |
| 2001 | 10.07 | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 10.38 | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 10.5 | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 10.8 | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 10.71 | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 10.81 | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 11.11 | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 11.26 | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 11.28 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 12.37 | +9.6% |
| 2011 | 12.97 | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 12.85 | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 12.73 | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 12.43 | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 12.62 | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 12.67 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 12.95 | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 13.19 | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 12.65 | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 11.91 | -5.9% |
| 2021 | 12.34 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 11.87 | -3.8% |
| 2023 | 11.42 | -3.9% |
| 2024 | 11.36 | -0.5% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 11.36 is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.15, 2.2× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 11.36 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.5, 4.5× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.62 | 1.92 | 3.7 | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.51 | 3.71 | 5.67 | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.29 | 6.07 | 9.99 | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.69 | 9.92 | 11.28 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.74 | 12.37 | 13.19 | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.78 | 11.36 | 12.34 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 14 Russia 13.98 compare
- 15 United States 13.62 compare
- 16 Kazakhstan 12.57 compare
- 18 Turkmenistan 10.86 compare
- 19 Luxembourg 10.56 compare
- 20 Greenland 10.45 compare
More climate change data for South Korea
- 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)
- Urban population 41.95 million (2025)
- Urban population growth -0.1% (2025)
- Population, total 51.68 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in South Korea?
- Energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in South Korea was 11.36 in 2024, according to Joint Research Centre (European Commission) and International Energy Agency (IEA), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 13.19 in 2018.
- What is the lowest energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.92 in 1971.
- How does South Korea rank for energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita?
- South Korea ranks 17th out of 203 countries with data for 2024.
- Is energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Joint Research Centre (European Commission) and International Energy Agency (IEA), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average energy consumption per capita is measured in kilowatt-hours per person. Average carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per capita are measured in tonnes per person.