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 214 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.
Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in South Korea, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.32 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1972 | 1.37 terawatt-hours | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 1.28 terawatt-hours | -6.1% |
| 1974 | 1.91 terawatt-hours | +48.4% |
| 1975 | 1.68 terawatt-hours | -11.7% |
| 1976 | 1.79 terawatt-hours | +6.3% |
| 1977 | 1.46 terawatt-hours | -18.1% |
| 1978 | 4.13 terawatt-hours | +182.2% |
| 1979 | 5.45 terawatt-hours | +31.9% |
| 1980 | 5.4 terawatt-hours | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 5.49 terawatt-hours | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 5.49 terawatt-hours | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 11.26 terawatt-hours | +105.0% |
| 1984 | 13.79 terawatt-hours | +22.5% |
| 1985 | 19.93 terawatt-hours | +44.5% |
| 1986 | 31.42 terawatt-hours | +57.7% |
| 1987 | 43.28 terawatt-hours | +37.7% |
| 1988 | 42.09 terawatt-hours | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 50.33 terawatt-hours | +19.6% |
| 1990 | 57.57 terawatt-hours | +14.4% |
| 1991 | 59.8 terawatt-hours | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 59.63 terawatt-hours | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 62.37 terawatt-hours | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 61 terawatt-hours | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 70.04 terawatt-hours | +14.8% |
| 1996 | 76.75 terawatt-hours | +9.6% |
| 1997 | 79.98 terawatt-hours | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 94.03 terawatt-hours | +17.6% |
| 1999 | 107.32 terawatt-hours | +14.1% |
| 2000 | 113.08 terawatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 114.57 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 122.53 terawatt-hours | +6.9% |
| 2003 | 134.78 terawatt-hours | +10.0% |
| 2004 | 135.37 terawatt-hours | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 150.85 terawatt-hours | +11.4% |
| 2006 | 152.73 terawatt-hours | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 147.4 terawatt-hours | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 155.4 terawatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 2009 | 152.38 terawatt-hours | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 154.29 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 162.12 terawatt-hours | +5.1% |
| 2012 | 158.5 terawatt-hours | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 149.01 terawatt-hours | -6.0% |
| 2014 | 169.3 terawatt-hours | +13.6% |
| 2015 | 179.96 terawatt-hours | +6.3% |
| 2016 | 180.12 terawatt-hours | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 170.76 terawatt-hours | -5.2% |
| 2018 | 161.31 terawatt-hours | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 178.92 terawatt-hours | +10.9% |
| 2020 | 200.58 terawatt-hours | +12.1% |
| 2021 | 206.11 terawatt-hours | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 231.54 terawatt-hours | +12.3% |
| 2023 | 239.56 terawatt-hours | +3.5% |
| 2024 | 249.47 terawatt-hours | +4.1% |
| 2025 | 249.6 terawatt-hours | +0.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 249.6 terawatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.82 terawatt-hours, 25.4× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 249.6 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.98 terawatt-hours, 254.7× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Electricity generation from low-carbon sources in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | +182.2% | 1.46 terawatt-hours | 4.13 terawatt-hours |
| 1983 | +105.0% | 5.49 terawatt-hours | 11.26 terawatt-hours |
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
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.1 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7164 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.8996 °C (2026)
- 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)
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 214 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.