Korea, Rep.: Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions excluding LULUCF per capita (t CO2e/capita)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Korea, Rep.'s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions excluding LULUCF per capita (t CO2e/capita) fell 0.05 on 2023 (from 11.42 to 11.36).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.12 and a typical year strayed about 0.51 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.09 in 2010 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.48 in 1998. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.17 a year. A straight line explains 70% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Korea, Rep. had the 18th highest value of the 203 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Korea, Rep. in the 2024 ranking

• Russian Federation — 14th of 203: 13.98
• United States — 15th of 203: 13.62
• Kazakhstan — 16th of 203: 12.57
• Turkmenistan — 18th of 203: 10.86
• Luxembourg — 19th of 203: 10.56
• Greenland — 20th of 203: 10.45

What this measures

Total annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from the agriculture, energy, waste, and industrial sectors, excluding LULUCF, standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values divided by the economy's population. This measure excludes GHG fluxes caused by Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), as these fluxes have larger uncertainties.

Limitations: Global GHG emissions are currently not directly measurable, but approaches for their estimation exist, and numerous sources exist to supply data for this indicator. Reputable scientific organizations produce these data for use for research, policy analysis, climate negotiations, and broader public communications. The estimated accuracy from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes are quite high, as quantities of fossil fuels and other emissive materials (such as cement and steel) produced are well known. For these sectors, emissions estimates are roughly accurate to within 10% when aggregated to the global level and between 4% and 35% at the country level (Crippa et al., 2023).

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average using population as weights.

All 55 values

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions excluding LULUCF per capita (t CO2e/capita) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — 0.00214 (2024)
• Australia — 14.1 (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 20.24 (2024)
• Cambodia — 1.1 (2024)
• China — 9.32 (2024)
• Fiji — 1.62 (2024)
• French Polynesia — 3.46 (2024)
• Guam — 0.00179 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China

More environment data for Korea, Rep.

• Population in largest city — 10.03 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 23.9% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 26.41 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 51.1% (2025)
• Rural population — 9.73 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 18.83% (2025)
• Urban population — 41.95 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 81.17% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 2.28 million (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Korea, Rep.'s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions excluding LULUCF per capita (t CO2e/capita)?

11.36 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 487.67% from 1.93 in 1970 (3.33% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 13.19 in 2018 and the lowest 1.92 in 1971.

How does Korea, Rep. rank?

18th highest of 203 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions excluding LULUCF per capita (t CO2e/capita) unusual for Korea, Rep.?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission, uri: https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dataset_ghg2024, publisher: JRC European Commission, date published: 2024; International Energy Agency (IEA), uri: https://edgar.j… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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