Electricity generation from coal in South Korea
South Korea: Electricity generation from coal was 194.53 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Electricity generation from coal in South Korea, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 194.53 terawatt-hours for electricity generation from coal in 2025.
That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and down 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from coal in South Korea peaked at 260.79 terawatt-hours in 2017 and was at its lowest, 23.65 terawatt-hours, in 1987.
That places South Korea 8th out of 207 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 26.72 terawatt-hours | 23.65 terawatt-hours | 30.62 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1990s | 69.3 terawatt-hours | 33.51 terawatt-hours | 111.1 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 153.78 terawatt-hours | 114.88 terawatt-hours | 209.35 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 234.58 terawatt-hours | 218.41 terawatt-hours | 260.79 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 202.86 terawatt-hours | 190.78 terawatt-hours | 213.32 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More energy & mining data for South Korea
- Fuel imports 25.7% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 6.7% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 2.4% (2024)
- Gas production 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel exports 7.7% (2024)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 3.3% (2024)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 53.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from coal in South Korea?
- Electricity generation from coal in South Korea was 194.53 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from coal recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 260.79 terawatt-hours in 2017.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from coal recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.65 terawatt-hours in 1987.
- How does South Korea rank for electricity generation from coal?
- South Korea ranks 8th out of 207 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from coal rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.