Per capita CO₂ emissions from gas in South Korea
South Korea: Per capita CO₂ emissions from gas was 2.5 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
2.5 tonnes per person
Change on year
up 6.0%
World rank
22nd
of 146 countries
All-time high
2.5 tonnes per person
in 2024
All-time low
0 tonnes per person
in 1905
Years of data
84
1905–2024
Per capita CO₂ emissions from gas in South Korea, 1905–2024
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 2.5 tonnes per person for per capita co₂ emissions from gas in 2024. That is the highest value across all 84 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.0% on the previous year and up 24.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions from gas in South Korea peaked at 2.5 tonnes per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes per person, in 1905.
South Korea ranks 22nd of 146 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Per capita CO₂ emissions from gas in South Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1905 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1909 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1910 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1911 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1912 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1913 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1914 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1915 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1916 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1918 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1919 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1920 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1921 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1922 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1923 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1924 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1925 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1926 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1927 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1928 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1929 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1930 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1931 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1932 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1933 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1934 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1935 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1936 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1937 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1938 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1939 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1940 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1941 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1942 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1943 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1944 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1946 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1947 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1948 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1949 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1981 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1982 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1983 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1984 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1985 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1986 | 0.0035 tonnes per person | — |
| 1987 | 0.1058 tonnes per person | +2914.9% |
| 1988 | 0.1347 tonnes per person | +27.4% |
| 1989 | 0.1286 tonnes per person | -4.5% |
| 1990 | 0.1459 tonnes per person | +13.5% |
| 1991 | 0.1675 tonnes per person | +14.7% |
| 1992 | 0.218 tonnes per person | +30.2% |
| 1993 | 0.2709 tonnes per person | +24.3% |
| 1994 | 0.3586 tonnes per person | +32.4% |
| 1995 | 0.4314 tonnes per person | +20.3% |
| 1996 | 0.5666 tonnes per person | +31.3% |
| 1997 | 0.6841 tonnes per person | +20.7% |
| 1998 | 0.6359 tonnes per person | -7.0% |
| 1999 | 0.7698 tonnes per person | +21.1% |
| 2000 | 0.8597 tonnes per person | +11.7% |
| 2001 | 0.9388 tonnes per person | +9.2% |
| 2002 | 1.04 tonnes per person | +10.5% |
| 2003 | 1.08 tonnes per person | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 1.26 tonnes per person | +16.7% |
| 2005 | 1.36 tonnes per person | +8.0% |
| 2006 | 1.42 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 1.52 tonnes per person | +7.5% |
| 2008 | 1.57 tonnes per person | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 1.49 tonnes per person | -5.3% |
| 2010 | 1.88 tonnes per person | +26.3% |
| 2011 | 2.01 tonnes per person | +6.8% |
| 2012 | 2.15 tonnes per person | +7.1% |
| 2013 | 2.23 tonnes per person | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 2.01 tonnes per person | -9.9% |
| 2015 | 1.82 tonnes per person | -9.5% |
| 2016 | 1.88 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 1.96 tonnes per person | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 2.27 tonnes per person | +15.8% |
| 2019 | 2.19 tonnes per person | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 2.25 tonnes per person | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 2.45 tonnes per person | +8.7% |
| 2022 | 2.45 tonnes per person | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 2.36 tonnes per person | -3.6% |
| 2024 | 2.5 tonnes per person | +6.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 2.5 tonnes per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.17 tonnes per person, 2.1× the median. (63 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 2.5 tonnes per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.6266 tonnes per person, 4.0× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita CO₂ emissions from gas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +2914.9% | 0.0035 tonnes per person | 0.1058 tonnes per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 2 |
| 1910s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 9 |
| 1920s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 9 |
| 1980s | 0.0414 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0.1347 tonnes per person | 9 |
| 1990s | 0.4249 tonnes per person | 0.1459 tonnes per person | 0.7698 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.25 tonnes per person | 0.8597 tonnes per person | 1.57 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.04 tonnes per person | 1.82 tonnes per person | 2.27 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.4 tonnes per person | 2.25 tonnes per person | 2.5 tonnes per person | 5 |
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 per capita co₂ emissions from gas in South Korea?
- Per capita co₂ emissions from gas in South Korea was 2.5 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita co₂ emissions from gas recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.5 tonnes per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions from gas recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes per person in 1905.
- How does South Korea rank for per capita co₂ emissions from gas?
- South Korea ranks 22nd out of 146 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions from gas rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Per capita CO₂ emissions from gas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 84 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from gas, measured in tonnes per person.