Electricity production by source in South Korea

South Korea: Electricity production by source was 5.5% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
5.5%
Change on year
up 9.7%
World rank
106th
of 208 countries
All-time high
5.5%
in 2021
All-time low
-1.3%
in 1995
Years of data
32
1990–2021

Electricity production by source in South Korea, 1990–2021

-202461990200520211990: 0.001 % of total1991: -1.3 % of total1992: -1.3 % of total1993: -1.2 % of total1994: -1 % of total1995: -1.3 % of total1996: -1.1 % of total1997: -1.1 % of total1998: -0.802 % of total1999: -0.75 % of total2000: 0.035 % of total2001: 0.035 % of total2002: 0.061 % of total2003: 0.064 % of total2004: 0.081 % of total2005: 0.098 % of total2006: 0.136 % of total2007: 0.228 % of total2008: 0.309 % of total2009: 0.429 % of total2010: 0.527 % of total2011: 0.558 % of total2012: 0.671 % of total2013: 0.835 % of total2014: 1.1 % of total2015: 1.5 % of total2016: 2.3 % of total2017: 2.8 % of total2018: 3.3 % of total2019: 4.2 % of total2020: 5 % of total2021: 5.5 % of total

Source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.

Analysis

In 2021, electricity production by source in South Korea stood at 5.5%. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.

That represents a change of up 9.7% on the previous year and up 888.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electricity production by source in South Korea peaked at 5.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, -1.3%, in 1995.

South Korea ranks 106th of 208 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s -1.0% -1.3% 0.0% 10
2000s 0.1% 0.0% 0.4% 10
2010s 1.8% 0.5% 4.2% 10
2020s 5.3% 5.0% 5.5% 2

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 103 Mali 5.7% compare
  2. 104 Solomon Islands 5.7% compare
  3. 105 Antigua and Barbuda 5.7% compare
  4. 107 Ukraine 5.5% compare
  5. 108 Rwanda 5.2% compare
  6. 109 Egypt 5.1% compare

See the full ranking of 208 places →

More energy & mining data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is electricity production by source in South Korea?
Electricity production by source in South Korea was 5.5% in 2021, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest electricity production by source recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 5.5% in 2021.
What is the lowest electricity production by source recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was -1.3% in 1995.
How does South Korea rank for electricity production by source?
South Korea ranks 106th out of 208 countries with data for 2021.
Is electricity production by source rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 888.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity production by source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Electricity production by source
Unit
% of total
Source
IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
208 places, 5,891 data points, 1990–2021
Last refreshed