Share of primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea
South Korea: Share of primary energy from low-carbon energy was 18.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Share of primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 18.7% for share of primary energy from low-carbon energy in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea peaked at 18.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1977.
That places South Korea 25th out of 79 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 5 |
| 1970s | 1.0% | 0.5% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.7% | 2.4% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.8% | 11.0% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.7% | 14.7% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.5% | 12.9% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.6% | 15.8% | 18.8% | 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 share of primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea?
- Share of primary energy from low-carbon energy in South Korea was 18.7% in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of primary energy from low-carbon energy recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 18.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of primary energy from low-carbon energy recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1977.
- How does South Korea rank for share of primary energy from low-carbon energy?
- South Korea ranks 25th out of 79 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of primary energy from low-carbon energy rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. 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); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share 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 as a percentage of total energy supply.