Share of CO₂ emissions embedded in trade in South Korea

South Korea: Share of CO₂ emissions embedded in trade was 20.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
20.3%
Change on year
up 6.5%
World rank
63rd
of 120 countries
All-time high
40.1%
in 1992
All-time low
-2.8%
in 1998
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Share of CO₂ emissions embedded in trade in South Korea, 1990–2023

0102030401990200620231990: 32.1 %1991: 28.4 %1992: 40.1 %1993: 27.5 %1994: 23.8 %1995: 21.6 %1996: 19.5 %1997: 12.3 %1998: -2.8 %1999: 6.2 %2000: 14.1 %2001: 10.6 %2002: 13.6 %2003: 13.2 %2004: 14.6 %2005: 19.2 %2006: 21.6 %2007: 23.1 %2008: 21 %2009: 6.7 %2010: 10.1 %2011: 9.6 %2012: 5.9 %2013: 5.5 %2014: 10.4 %2015: 6.6 %2016: 4.9 %2017: 7.2 %2018: 11.8 %2019: 13.8 %2020: 14.1 %2021: 16.5 %2022: 19.1 %2023: 20.3 %

Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of co₂ emissions embedded in trade in South Korea is 20.3%, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.5% on the previous year and up 266.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of co₂ emissions embedded in trade in South Korea peaked at 40.1% in 1992 and was at its lowest, -2.8%, in 1998.

That places South Korea 63rd out of 120 countries with data for 2023, 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 20.9% -2.8% 40.1% 10
2000s 15.8% 6.7% 23.1% 10
2010s 8.6% 4.9% 13.8% 10
2020s 17.5% 14.1% 20.3% 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 60 Albania 21.8% compare
  2. 62 Spain 21.0% compare
  3. 64 Czechia 20.2% compare
  4. 65 Cyprus 20.0% compare
  5. 66 Peru 19.4% compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More climate change data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of co₂ emissions embedded in trade in South Korea?
Share of co₂ emissions embedded in trade in South Korea was 20.3% in 2023, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of co₂ emissions embedded in trade recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 40.1% in 1992.
What is the lowest share of co₂ emissions embedded in trade recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was -2.8% in 1998.
How does South Korea rank for share of co₂ emissions embedded in trade?
South Korea ranks 63rd out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of co₂ emissions embedded in trade rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 266.5%. 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) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of CO₂ emissions embedded in trade. 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

Indicator
Share of CO₂ emissions embedded in trade
Unit
%
Source
Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 4,063 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Annual net carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions embedded in trade, measured as a percentage of emissions of CO₂.