Energy intensity in South Korea
South Korea: Energy intensity was 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
26th
of 166 countries
All-time high
2.23 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 1997
All-time low
1.33 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 1965
Years of data
58
1965–2022
Energy intensity in South Korea, 1965–2022
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per dollar.
Analysis
The most recent figure for energy intensity in South Korea is 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy intensity in South Korea peaked at 2.23 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1997 and was at its lowest, 1.33 kilowatt-hours per dollar, in 1965.
That places South Korea 26th out of 166 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 58 years of available data.
Energy intensity in South Korea, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per dollar | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 1.33 kilowatt-hours per dollar | — |
| 1966 | 1.44 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +8.0% |
| 1967 | 1.52 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +5.7% |
| 1968 | 1.55 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 1.62 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +5.0% |
| 1970 | 1.72 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +6.0% |
| 1971 | 1.69 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 1.63 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.2% |
| 1973 | 1.76 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +8.2% |
| 1974 | 1.67 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.5% |
| 1975 | 1.7 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 1.69 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 1.73 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 1.75 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 1.86 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 1.95 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +4.9% |
| 1981 | 1.9 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.6% |
| 1982 | 1.76 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -7.2% |
| 1983 | 1.69 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.0% |
| 1984 | 1.68 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 1.72 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 1.74 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 1.72 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 1.72 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 1.75 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 1.82 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 1.89 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 2.01 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +6.6% |
| 1993 | 2.07 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 2.07 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 2.08 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 2.15 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 2.23 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 2.17 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 2.14 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 2.09 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 2.07 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 2.03 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 2.05 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 2.02 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 2.02 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 1.98 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 1.94 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 1.94 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 1.95 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 1.98 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 2.02 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 2 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 1.93 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 1.89 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 1.87 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 1.88 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 1.84 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 1.83 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 1.76 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.4% |
| 2020 | 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 1.73 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.2% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.01 kilowatt-hours per dollar, 1.7× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.18 kilowatt-hours per dollar, 1.4× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.33 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.62 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 5 |
| 1970s | 1.72 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.63 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.86 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.76 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.68 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.95 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.06 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.82 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.23 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.01 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.94 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.09 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.76 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.02 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.73 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 23 Barbados 1.74 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 24 Belarus 1.73 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 25 Saudi Arabia 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 27 Jamaica 1.67 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 28 Kyrgyzstan 1.67 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 29 United Arab Emirates 1.66 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
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 energy intensity in South Korea?
- Energy intensity in South Korea was 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2022, 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 energy intensity recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.23 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1997.
- What is the lowest energy intensity recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.33 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1965.
- How does South Korea rank for energy intensity?
- South Korea ranks 26th out of 166 countries with data for 2022.
- Is energy intensity rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Energy intensity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 58 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per international-$ of GDP.