Electricity generation from renewables in South Korea
South Korea: Electricity generation from renewables was 64.93 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
64.93 terawatt-hours
Change on year
up 6.9%
World rank
24th
of 214 countries
All-time high
64.93 terawatt-hours
in 2025
All-time low
1.28 terawatt-hours
in 1973
Years of data
55
1971–2025
Electricity generation from renewables in South Korea, 1971–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for electricity generation from renewables in South Korea is 64.93 terawatt-hours, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is up 6.9% on the previous year and up 327.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from renewables in South Korea peaked at 64.93 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.28 terawatt-hours, in 1973.
That places South Korea 24th out of 214 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Electricity generation from renewables in South Korea, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.32 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1972 | 1.37 terawatt-hours | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 1.28 terawatt-hours | -6.1% |
| 1974 | 1.91 terawatt-hours | +48.4% |
| 1975 | 1.68 terawatt-hours | -11.7% |
| 1976 | 1.79 terawatt-hours | +6.3% |
| 1977 | 1.39 terawatt-hours | -22.1% |
| 1978 | 1.81 terawatt-hours | +29.8% |
| 1979 | 2.3 terawatt-hours | +27.0% |
| 1980 | 1.92 terawatt-hours | -16.4% |
| 1981 | 2.6 terawatt-hours | +35.3% |
| 1982 | 1.72 terawatt-hours | -34.0% |
| 1983 | 2.29 terawatt-hours | +33.7% |
| 1984 | 2 terawatt-hours | -12.9% |
| 1985 | 3.18 terawatt-hours | +59.4% |
| 1986 | 3.11 terawatt-hours | -2.4% |
| 1987 | 3.97 terawatt-hours | +27.5% |
| 1988 | 1.99 terawatt-hours | -49.9% |
| 1989 | 2.96 terawatt-hours | +49.2% |
| 1990 | 4.68 terawatt-hours | +58.1% |
| 1991 | 3.49 terawatt-hours | -25.6% |
| 1992 | 3.1 terawatt-hours | -11.1% |
| 1993 | 4.23 terawatt-hours | +36.5% |
| 1994 | 2.35 terawatt-hours | -44.5% |
| 1995 | 3.01 terawatt-hours | +28.2% |
| 1996 | 2.83 terawatt-hours | -6.0% |
| 1997 | 2.9 terawatt-hours | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 4.34 terawatt-hours | +50.0% |
| 1999 | 4.26 terawatt-hours | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 4.12 terawatt-hours | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 2.44 terawatt-hours | -40.8% |
| 2002 | 3.43 terawatt-hours | +40.6% |
| 2003 | 5.11 terawatt-hours | +49.0% |
| 2004 | 4.66 terawatt-hours | -8.8% |
| 2005 | 4.07 terawatt-hours | -12.7% |
| 2006 | 3.98 terawatt-hours | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 4.46 terawatt-hours | +12.1% |
| 2008 | 4.44 terawatt-hours | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 4.61 terawatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 5.69 terawatt-hours | +23.4% |
| 2011 | 7.4 terawatt-hours | +30.1% |
| 2012 | 8.17 terawatt-hours | +10.4% |
| 2013 | 10.23 terawatt-hours | +25.2% |
| 2014 | 12.89 terawatt-hours | +26.0% |
| 2015 | 15.2 terawatt-hours | +17.9% |
| 2016 | 18.13 terawatt-hours | +19.3% |
| 2017 | 22.33 terawatt-hours | +23.2% |
| 2018 | 27.8 terawatt-hours | +24.5% |
| 2019 | 33.01 terawatt-hours | +18.7% |
| 2020 | 40.4 terawatt-hours | +22.4% |
| 2021 | 48.1 terawatt-hours | +19.1% |
| 2022 | 55.49 terawatt-hours | +15.4% |
| 2023 | 59.07 terawatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 2024 | 60.72 terawatt-hours | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 64.93 terawatt-hours | +6.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 64.93 terawatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.9 terawatt-hours, 9.4× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 64.93 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.98 terawatt-hours, 66.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.65 terawatt-hours | 1.28 terawatt-hours | 2.3 terawatt-hours | 9 |
| 1980s | 2.57 terawatt-hours | 1.72 terawatt-hours | 3.97 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.52 terawatt-hours | 2.35 terawatt-hours | 4.68 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.13 terawatt-hours | 2.44 terawatt-hours | 5.11 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.09 terawatt-hours | 5.69 terawatt-hours | 33.01 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.79 terawatt-hours | 40.4 terawatt-hours | 64.93 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More energy & mining data for South Korea
- 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)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 25.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from renewables in South Korea?
- Electricity generation from renewables in South Korea was 64.93 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 renewables recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 64.93 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from renewables recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.28 terawatt-hours in 1973.
- How does South Korea rank for electricity generation from renewables?
- South Korea ranks 24th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from renewables rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 327.2%. 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 renewables. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.