Japan vs South Korea: Share of electricity generation from coal
Japan
32.1%
in 2025
South Korea
31.1%
in 2025
Japan rank
25th
South Korea rank
26th
Share of electricity generation from coal over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
Japan currently reports 32.1% against 31.1% in South Korea, a difference of 1.0%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 41 shared years of data; in 1985 it was South Korea ahead.
Japan ranks 25th and South Korea ranks 26th of 210 countries.
South Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.8% | 33.2% | 18.5% | South Korea |
| 1990s | 16.2% | 34.9% | 18.7% | South Korea |
| 2000s | 26.0% | 40.7% | 14.8% | South Korea |
| 2010s | 31.7% | 42.8% | 11.1% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 33.0% | 33.2% | 0.2% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of electricity generation from coal, Japan or South Korea?
- Japan, at 32.1% against 31.1% in South Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of electricity generation from coal between Japan and South Korea?
- 1.0%, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2025.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for share of electricity generation from coal?
- Japan ranks 25th and South Korea ranks 26th of 210 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of electricity generation from coal. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total electricity produced in the country or region.