Germany vs South Korea: Fossil fuel consumption
Germany
2,367 terawatt-hours
in 2025
South Korea
2,929 terawatt-hours
in 2025
Germany rank
11th
South Korea rank
8th
Fossil fuel consumption over time
- Germany
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 2,929 terawatt-hours against 2,367 terawatt-hours in Germany, a difference of 562 terawatt-hours.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.2 times Germany's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 61 shared years of data; in 1965 it was Germany ahead.
Germany ranks 11th and South Korea ranks 8th of 214 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 6 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3,049 terawatt-hours | 103.78 terawatt-hours | 2,945 terawatt-hours | Germany |
| 1970s | 3,806 terawatt-hours | 267.54 terawatt-hours | 3,538 terawatt-hours | Germany |
| 1980s | 3,814 terawatt-hours | 574.53 terawatt-hours | 3,239 terawatt-hours | Germany |
| 1990s | 3,518 terawatt-hours | 1,475 terawatt-hours | 2,044 terawatt-hours | Germany |
| 2000s | 3,316 terawatt-hours | 2,201 terawatt-hours | 1,115 terawatt-hours | Germany |
| 2010s | 3,036 terawatt-hours | 2,891 terawatt-hours | 145.26 terawatt-hours | Germany |
| 2020s | 2,520 terawatt-hours | 2,954 terawatt-hours | 434.23 terawatt-hours | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fossil fuel consumption, Germany or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 2,929 terawatt-hours against 2,367 terawatt-hours in Germany as of 2025.
- What is the difference in fossil fuel consumption between Germany and South Korea?
- 562 terawatt-hours, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and South Korea?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do Germany and South Korea rank globally for fossil fuel consumption?
- Germany ranks 11th and South Korea ranks 8th of 214 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Fossil fuel consumption. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and gas.