Share of global CO₂ emissions from coal in South Korea

South Korea: Share of global CO₂ emissions from coal was 1.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.6%
Change on year
down 7.2%
World rank
8th
of 179 countries
All-time high
2.3%
in 2017
All-time low
0.0%
in 1905
Years of data
115
1905–2024

Share of global CO₂ emissions from coal in South Korea, 1905–2024

00.511.522.5190519642024

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of global co₂ emissions from coal in South Korea is 1.6%, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.2% on the previous year and down 29.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of global co₂ emissions from coal in South Korea peaked at 2.3% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1905.

South Korea ranks 8th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2
1910s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 9
1920s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 10
1930s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 10
1940s 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 9
1950s 0.1% 0.0% 0.2% 10
1960s 0.3% 0.2% 0.4% 10
1970s 0.5% 0.4% 0.7% 10
1980s 1.0% 0.7% 1.1% 10
1990s 1.3% 1.1% 1.7% 10
2000s 1.9% 1.8% 2.0% 10
2010s 2.2% 2.1% 2.3% 10
2020s 1.8% 1.6% 2.0% 5

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 5 Japan 2.4% compare
  2. 6 Russia 2.4% compare
  3. 7 South Africa 2.3% compare
  4. 9 Vietnam 1.5% compare
  5. 10 Turkey 1.3% compare
  6. 11 Germany 1.0% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More climate change data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of global co₂ emissions from coal in South Korea?
Share of global co₂ emissions from coal in South Korea was 1.6% in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of global co₂ emissions from coal recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 2.3% in 2017.
What is the lowest share of global co₂ emissions from coal recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1905.
How does South Korea rank for share of global co₂ emissions from coal?
South Korea ranks 8th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of global co₂ emissions from coal rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 29.0%. 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 global CO₂ emissions from coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 115 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of global CO₂ emissions from coal
Unit
%
Source
Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 18,115 data points, 1750–2024
Last refreshed

Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured as a percentage of global emissions of CO₂ from coal in the same year.