Energy use in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Energy use was 5,439 kg of oil equivalent per capita in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
5,439 kg of oil equivalent per capita
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
14th
of 175 countries
All-time high
5,532 kg of oil equivalent per capita
in 2018
All-time low
2,088 kg of oil equivalent per capita
in 1990
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Energy use in Republic of Korea, 1990–2024
Source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA). Measured in kg of oil equivalent per capita.
Analysis
The most recent figure for energy use in Republic of Korea is 5,439 kg of oil equivalent per capita, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy use in Republic of Korea peaked at 5,532 kg of oil equivalent per capita in 2018 and was at its lowest, 2,088 kg of oil equivalent per capita, in 1990.
Republic of Korea ranks 14th of 175 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Energy use in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | kg of oil equivalent per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2,088 kg of oil equivalent per capita | — |
| 1991 | 2,260 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +8.2% |
| 1992 | 2,546 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +12.7% |
| 1993 | 2,825 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +11.0% |
| 1994 | 2,969 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 3,234 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +8.9% |
| 1996 | 3,461 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +7.0% |
| 1997 | 3,675 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +6.2% |
| 1998 | 3,374 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -8.2% |
| 1999 | 3,666 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +8.6% |
| 2000 | 3,952 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +7.8% |
| 2001 | 3,923 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 4,093 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 4,138 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 4,255 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 4,325 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 4,338 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 4,488 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 4,513 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 4,558 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 4,920 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +8.0% |
| 2011 | 5,115 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 5,123 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 5,108 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 5,137 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 5,239 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 5,391 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 5,468 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 5,532 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 5,335 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 5,196 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 5,514 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +6.1% |
| 2022 | 5,412 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 5,337 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 5,439 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3,010 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 2,088 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 3,675 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,258 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 3,923 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 4,558 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,237 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 4,920 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 5,532 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 5,379 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 5,196 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 5,514 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 5 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
- 11 Oman 5,908 kg of oil equivalent per capita compare
- 12 Finland 5,614 kg of oil equivalent per capita compare
- 13 Russian Federation 5,498 kg of oil equivalent per capita compare
- 15 Singapore 5,283 kg of oil equivalent per capita compare
- 16 Norway 4,775 kg of oil equivalent per capita compare
- 17 Australia 4,751 kg of oil equivalent per capita compare
More energy & mining data for Republic of 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 use in Republic of Korea?
- Energy use in Republic of Korea was 5,439 kg of oil equivalent per capita in 2024, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA).
- What is the highest energy use recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 5,532 kg of oil equivalent per capita in 2018.
- What is the lowest energy use recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,088 kg of oil equivalent per capita in 1990.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for energy use?
- Republic of Korea ranks 14th out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
- Is energy use rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA), published as part of Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Energy use refers to use of primary energy before transformation to other end-use fuels, which is equal to indigenous production plus imports and stock changes, minus exports and fuels supplied to ships and aircraft engaged in international transport.