Per capita methane emissions by sector in South Korea
South Korea: Per capita methane emissions by sector was 55.27 kilograms per person in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
55.27 kilograms per person
Change on year
down 8.3%
World rank
86th
of 193 countries
All-time high
370.22 kilograms per person
in 1990
All-time low
55.27 kilograms per person
in 2023
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Per capita methane emissions by sector in South Korea, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per person.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 55.27 kilograms per person for per capita methane emissions by sector in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.3% on the previous year and down 26.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita methane emissions by sector in South Korea peaked at 370.22 kilograms per person in 1990 and was at its lowest, 55.27 kilograms per person, in 2023.
South Korea ranks 86th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Per capita methane emissions by sector in South Korea, year by year
| Year | kilograms per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 370.22 kilograms per person | — |
| 1991 | 322.46 kilograms per person | -12.9% |
| 1992 | 257.54 kilograms per person | -20.1% |
| 1993 | 205.62 kilograms per person | -20.2% |
| 1994 | 164.85 kilograms per person | -19.8% |
| 1995 | 130.05 kilograms per person | -21.1% |
| 1996 | 115.91 kilograms per person | -10.9% |
| 1997 | 109.05 kilograms per person | -5.9% |
| 1998 | 103.39 kilograms per person | -5.2% |
| 1999 | 101.72 kilograms per person | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 103.49 kilograms per person | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 96.08 kilograms per person | -7.2% |
| 2002 | 88.59 kilograms per person | -7.8% |
| 2003 | 87.97 kilograms per person | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 88.47 kilograms per person | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 83.17 kilograms per person | -6.0% |
| 2006 | 83.74 kilograms per person | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 88.42 kilograms per person | +5.6% |
| 2008 | 84.99 kilograms per person | -3.9% |
| 2009 | 80.75 kilograms per person | -5.0% |
| 2010 | 76.69 kilograms per person | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 79.79 kilograms per person | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 79.64 kilograms per person | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 75.29 kilograms per person | -5.5% |
| 2014 | 70.24 kilograms per person | -6.7% |
| 2015 | 67.86 kilograms per person | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 68.03 kilograms per person | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 67.01 kilograms per person | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 65.84 kilograms per person | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 62.2 kilograms per person | -5.5% |
| 2020 | 60.55 kilograms per person | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 62.49 kilograms per person | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 60.25 kilograms per person | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 55.27 kilograms per person | -8.3% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 55.27 kilograms per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 45.5 kilograms per person, 1.2× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 55.27 kilograms per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 7.97 kilograms per person, 6.9× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 188.08 kilograms per person | 101.72 kilograms per person | 370.22 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 88.57 kilograms per person | 80.75 kilograms per person | 103.49 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.26 kilograms per person | 62.2 kilograms per person | 79.79 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.64 kilograms per person | 55.27 kilograms per person | 62.49 kilograms per person | 4 |
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 methane emissions by sector in South Korea?
- Per capita methane emissions by sector in South Korea was 55.27 kilograms per person in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita methane emissions by sector recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 370.22 kilograms per person in 1990.
- What is the lowest per capita methane emissions by sector recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.27 kilograms per person in 2023.
- How does South Korea rank for per capita methane emissions by sector?
- South Korea ranks 86th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita methane emissions by sector rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita methane emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide-equivalents per person.