Imported or exported CO₂ emissions per capita in South Korea
South Korea: Imported or exported CO₂ emissions per capita was 2.31 tonnes per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Imported or exported CO₂ emissions per capita in South Korea, 1990–2023
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 2.31 tonnes per person for imported or exported co₂ emissions per capita in 2023.
That represents a change of up 3.4% on the previous year and up 229.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, imported or exported co₂ emissions per capita in South Korea peaked at 2.69 tonnes per person in 1992 and was at its lowest, -0.2286 tonnes per person, in 1998.
That places South Korea 18th out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.53 tonnes per person | -0.2286 tonnes per person | 2.69 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.64 tonnes per person | 0.7429 tonnes per person | 2.5 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.08 tonnes per person | 0.6141 tonnes per person | 1.73 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.03 tonnes per person | 1.63 tonnes per person | 2.31 tonnes per person | 4 |
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 imported or exported co₂ emissions per capita in South Korea?
- Imported or exported co₂ emissions per capita in South Korea was 2.31 tonnes per person in 2023, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest imported or exported co₂ emissions per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.69 tonnes per person in 1992.
- What is the lowest imported or exported co₂ emissions per capita recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.2286 tonnes per person in 1998.
- How does South Korea rank for imported or exported co₂ emissions per capita?
- South Korea ranks 18th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is imported or exported co₂ emissions per capita rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 229.2%. 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); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Imported or exported CO₂ emissions per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual net carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions embedded in trade, measured in tonnes per person.