Coal consumption in South Korea
South Korea: Coal consumption was 793.18 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
793.18 terawatt-hours
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
9th
of 220 countries
All-time high
1,058 terawatt-hours
in 2018
All-time low
57.59 terawatt-hours
in 1965
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Coal consumption in South Korea, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 793.18 terawatt-hours for coal consumption in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 20.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, coal consumption in South Korea peaked at 1,058 terawatt-hours in 2018 and was at its lowest, 57.59 terawatt-hours, in 1965.
That places South Korea 9th out of 220 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Coal consumption in South Korea, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 57.59 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 65.21 terawatt-hours | +13.2% |
| 1967 | 62.21 terawatt-hours | -4.6% |
| 1968 | 58.73 terawatt-hours | -5.6% |
| 1969 | 61.34 terawatt-hours | +4.4% |
| 1970 | 65.47 terawatt-hours | +6.7% |
| 1971 | 66.16 terawatt-hours | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 67.81 terawatt-hours | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 85.76 terawatt-hours | +26.5% |
| 1974 | 88.45 terawatt-hours | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 93.45 terawatt-hours | +5.7% |
| 1976 | 104.17 terawatt-hours | +11.5% |
| 1977 | 113.72 terawatt-hours | +9.2% |
| 1978 | 115.07 terawatt-hours | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 137.73 terawatt-hours | +19.7% |
| 1980 | 153.5 terawatt-hours | +11.4% |
| 1981 | 177.29 terawatt-hours | +15.5% |
| 1982 | 179.69 terawatt-hours | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 191.79 terawatt-hours | +6.7% |
| 1984 | 231.05 terawatt-hours | +20.5% |
| 1985 | 256.12 terawatt-hours | +10.8% |
| 1986 | 271.33 terawatt-hours | +5.9% |
| 1987 | 274.92 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 292.64 terawatt-hours | +6.4% |
| 1989 | 284.85 terawatt-hours | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 293.27 terawatt-hours | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 300.84 terawatt-hours | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 291.14 terawatt-hours | -3.2% |
| 1993 | 319.41 terawatt-hours | +9.7% |
| 1994 | 332.49 terawatt-hours | +4.1% |
| 1995 | 343.24 terawatt-hours | +3.2% |
| 1996 | 398.4 terawatt-hours | +16.1% |
| 1997 | 422.18 terawatt-hours | +6.0% |
| 1998 | 435.1 terawatt-hours | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 460.11 terawatt-hours | +5.7% |
| 2000 | 514.1 terawatt-hours | +11.7% |
| 2001 | 547.13 terawatt-hours | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 586.01 terawatt-hours | +7.1% |
| 2003 | 608.54 terawatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 641.99 terawatt-hours | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 652.59 terawatt-hours | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 674.45 terawatt-hours | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 708.93 terawatt-hours | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 788.67 terawatt-hours | +11.2% |
| 2009 | 819.01 terawatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 916.17 terawatt-hours | +11.9% |
| 2011 | 1,003 terawatt-hours | +9.4% |
| 2012 | 961.53 terawatt-hours | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 960.95 terawatt-hours | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 990.38 terawatt-hours | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 994.67 terawatt-hours | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 968.08 terawatt-hours | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 1,027 terawatt-hours | +6.1% |
| 2018 | 1,058 terawatt-hours | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 997.12 terawatt-hours | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 882.85 terawatt-hours | -11.5% |
| 2021 | 909.11 terawatt-hours | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 873.81 terawatt-hours | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 844.99 terawatt-hours | -3.3% |
| 2024 | 792.41 terawatt-hours | -6.2% |
| 2025 | 793.18 terawatt-hours | +0.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 793.18 terawatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.39 terawatt-hours, 331.4× the median. (76 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 793.18 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.95 terawatt-hours, 200.7× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 61.02 terawatt-hours | 57.59 terawatt-hours | 65.21 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 93.78 terawatt-hours | 65.47 terawatt-hours | 137.73 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 231.32 terawatt-hours | 153.5 terawatt-hours | 292.64 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 359.62 terawatt-hours | 291.14 terawatt-hours | 460.11 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 654.14 terawatt-hours | 514.1 terawatt-hours | 819.01 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 987.65 terawatt-hours | 916.17 terawatt-hours | 1,058 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 849.39 terawatt-hours | 792.41 terawatt-hours | 909.11 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More energy & mining data for South Korea
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -1.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0.0001 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fuel imports 22.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is coal consumption in South Korea?
- Coal consumption in South Korea was 793.18 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest coal consumption recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1,058 terawatt-hours in 2018.
- What is the lowest coal consumption recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.59 terawatt-hours in 1965.
- How does South Korea rank for coal consumption?
- South Korea ranks 9th out of 220 countries with data for 2025.
- Is coal consumption rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Coal consumption. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.