Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in South Korea
South Korea: Electricity generation from low-carbon sources was 249.6 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in South Korea, 1971–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for electricity generation from low-carbon sources in South Korea is 249.6 terawatt-hours, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 38.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from low-carbon sources in South Korea peaked at 249.6 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.28 terawatt-hours, in 1973.
That places South Korea 10th out of 209 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.27 terawatt-hours | 1.28 terawatt-hours | 5.45 terawatt-hours | 9 |
| 1980s | 22.85 terawatt-hours | 5.4 terawatt-hours | 50.33 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 72.85 terawatt-hours | 57.57 terawatt-hours | 107.32 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 137.91 terawatt-hours | 113.08 terawatt-hours | 155.4 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 166.43 terawatt-hours | 149.01 terawatt-hours | 180.12 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 229.48 terawatt-hours | 200.58 terawatt-hours | 249.6 terawatt-hours | 6 |
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 electricity generation from low-carbon sources in South Korea?
- Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in South Korea was 249.6 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from low-carbon sources recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 249.6 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from low-carbon sources recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.28 terawatt-hours in 1973.
- How does South Korea rank for electricity generation from low-carbon sources?
- South Korea ranks 10th out of 209 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from low-carbon sources rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from low-carbon sources. 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
Measured in terawatt-hours. Low-carbon sources correspond to renewables and nuclear power, that produce significantly less greenhouse-gas emissions than fossil fuels. Renewables include solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal, wave, and tidal.