Greenhouse gas emissions by gas in South Korea
South Korea: Greenhouse gas emissions by gas was 13.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
13.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
44th
of 201 countries
All-time high
20.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1997
All-time low
153,564 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Greenhouse gas emissions by gas in South Korea, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
The most recent figure for greenhouse gas emissions by gas in South Korea is 13.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by gas in South Korea peaked at 20.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1997 and was at its lowest, 153,564 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1850.
That places South Korea 44th out of 201 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 164,390 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 153,564 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 172,959 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 176,410 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 173,836 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 178,915 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 214,254 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 179,585 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 256,275 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 270,788 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 260,989 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 279,183 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 314,017 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 295,331 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 337,872 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 385,292 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 344,344 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 434,833 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 544,177 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 448,115 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 651,821 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 760,358 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 672,831 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 841,178 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 910,640 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 854,990 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 956,485 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 960,944 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 6.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 20.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 16.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 41 Zambia 14.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 42 Niger 14.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 43 Mali 13.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 45 New Zealand 13.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 46 Saudi Arabia 13.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 47 Mozambique 12.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents 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 greenhouse gas emissions by gas in South Korea?
- Greenhouse gas emissions by gas in South Korea was 13.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest greenhouse gas emissions by gas recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 20.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1997.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by gas recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 153,564 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1850.
- How does South Korea rank for greenhouse gas emissions by gas?
- South Korea ranks 44th out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by gas rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Greenhouse gas emissions by gas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.