Primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea
South Korea: Primary energy from low-carbon energy was 674.95 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
674.95 terawatt-hours
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
8th
of 80 countries
All-time high
687.67 terawatt-hours
in 2024
All-time low
0.7104 terawatt-hours
in 1965
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2025, primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea stood at 674.95 terawatt-hours.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and up 26.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea peaked at 687.67 terawatt-hours in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.7104 terawatt-hours, in 1965.
South Korea ranks 8th of 80 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0.7104 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 0.9853 terawatt-hours | +38.7% |
| 1967 | 0.9532 terawatt-hours | -3.3% |
| 1968 | 0.9295 terawatt-hours | -2.5% |
| 1969 | 1.43 terawatt-hours | +53.7% |
| 1970 | 1.22 terawatt-hours | -14.5% |
| 1971 | 1.32 terawatt-hours | +8.1% |
| 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 | 1.61 terawatt-hours | -10.0% |
| 1978 | 8.85 terawatt-hours | +450.0% |
| 1979 | 11.85 terawatt-hours | +33.9% |
| 1980 | 12.46 terawatt-hours | +5.1% |
| 1981 | 11.38 terawatt-hours | -8.7% |
| 1982 | 13.16 terawatt-hours | +15.7% |
| 1983 | 29.46 terawatt-hours | +123.8% |
| 1984 | 37.73 terawatt-hours | +28.1% |
| 1985 | 53.93 terawatt-hours | +42.9% |
| 1986 | 88.9 terawatt-hours | +64.9% |
| 1987 | 123.1 terawatt-hours | +38.5% |
| 1988 | 123.5 terawatt-hours | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 146.5 terawatt-hours | +18.6% |
| 1990 | 164.95 terawatt-hours | +12.6% |
| 1991 | 174.13 terawatt-hours | +5.6% |
| 1992 | 174.4 terawatt-hours | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 180.41 terawatt-hours | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 180.08 terawatt-hours | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 206.64 terawatt-hours | +14.7% |
| 1996 | 227.66 terawatt-hours | +10.2% |
| 1997 | 236.65 terawatt-hours | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 276.25 terawatt-hours | +16.7% |
| 1999 | 316.75 terawatt-hours | +14.7% |
| 2000 | 334.46 terawatt-hours | +5.6% |
| 2001 | 342.41 terawatt-hours | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 364.71 terawatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 2003 | 398.43 terawatt-hours | +9.2% |
| 2004 | 401.36 terawatt-hours | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 449.39 terawatt-hours | +12.0% |
| 2006 | 455.72 terawatt-hours | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 439.49 terawatt-hours | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 465.28 terawatt-hours | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 456.52 terawatt-hours | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 460.98 terawatt-hours | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 482.37 terawatt-hours | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 472.23 terawatt-hours | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 441.48 terawatt-hours | -6.5% |
| 2014 | 504.23 terawatt-hours | +14.2% |
| 2015 | 534.79 terawatt-hours | +6.1% |
| 2016 | 531.51 terawatt-hours | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 498.18 terawatt-hours | -6.3% |
| 2018 | 464.33 terawatt-hours | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 510.23 terawatt-hours | +9.9% |
| 2020 | 562.38 terawatt-hours | +10.2% |
| 2021 | 569.95 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 633.15 terawatt-hours | +11.1% |
| 2023 | 652.11 terawatt-hours | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 687.67 terawatt-hours | +5.5% |
| 2025 | 674.95 terawatt-hours | -1.8% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 674.95 terawatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 70.73 terawatt-hours, 9.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 674.95 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 134.27 terawatt-hours, 5.0× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Primary energy from low-carbon energy 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 | +450.0% | 1.61 terawatt-hours | 8.85 terawatt-hours |
| 1983 | +123.8% | 13.16 terawatt-hours | 29.46 terawatt-hours |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1 terawatt-hours | 0.7104 terawatt-hours | 1.43 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 3.29 terawatt-hours | 1.22 terawatt-hours | 11.85 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 64.01 terawatt-hours | 11.38 terawatt-hours | 146.5 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 213.79 terawatt-hours | 164.95 terawatt-hours | 316.75 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 410.78 terawatt-hours | 334.46 terawatt-hours | 465.28 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 490.03 terawatt-hours | 441.48 terawatt-hours | 534.79 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 630.03 terawatt-hours | 562.38 terawatt-hours | 687.67 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 primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea?
- Primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea was 674.95 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy from low-carbon energy recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 687.67 terawatt-hours in 2024.
- What is the lowest primary energy from low-carbon energy recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7104 terawatt-hours in 1965.
- How does South Korea rank for primary energy from low-carbon energy?
- South Korea ranks 8th out of 80 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary energy from low-carbon energy rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy from low-carbon energy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours of total energy supply.