Fossil fuel consumption by fuel in South Korea

South Korea: Fossil fuel consumption by fuel was 629.58 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
629.58 terawatt-hours
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
12th
of 219 countries
All-time high
633.74 terawatt-hours
in 2024
All-time low
0 terawatt-hours
in 1980
Years of data
46
1980–2025

Fossil fuel consumption by fuel in South Korea, 1980–2025

0200400600198020022025

Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026); Etemad & Luciani (1991) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 629.58 terawatt-hours for fossil fuel consumption by fuel in 2025.

The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 37.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fossil fuel consumption by fuel in South Korea peaked at 633.74 terawatt-hours in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 terawatt-hours, in 1980.

That places South Korea 12th out of 219 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 7.87 terawatt-hours 0 terawatt-hours 28.45 terawatt-hours 10
1990s 95.58 terawatt-hours 31.64 terawatt-hours 176.36 terawatt-hours 10
2000s 296.23 terawatt-hours 198.08 terawatt-hours 374.52 terawatt-hours 10
2010s 507.22 terawatt-hours 449.82 terawatt-hours 576.93 terawatt-hours 10
2020s 610.51 terawatt-hours 565.87 terawatt-hours 633.74 terawatt-hours 6

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 9 Germany 785.19 terawatt-hours compare
  2. 10 United Arab Emirates 705.92 terawatt-hours compare
  3. 11 India 665.69 terawatt-hours compare
  4. 13 Egypt 614.55 terawatt-hours compare
  5. 14 United Kingdom 611.62 terawatt-hours compare
  6. 15 Italy 601.38 terawatt-hours compare

See the full ranking of 222 places →

More energy & mining data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is fossil fuel consumption by fuel in South Korea?
Fossil fuel consumption by fuel in South Korea was 629.58 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026); Etemad & Luciani (1991) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fossil fuel consumption by fuel recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 633.74 terawatt-hours in 2024.
What is the lowest fossil fuel consumption by fuel recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0 terawatt-hours in 1980.
How does South Korea rank for fossil fuel consumption by fuel?
South Korea ranks 12th out of 219 countries with data for 2025.
Is fossil fuel consumption by fuel rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 37.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026); Etemad & Luciani (1991) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fossil fuel consumption by fuel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Fossil fuel consumption by fuel
Unit
terawatt-hours
Source
Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026); Etemad & Luciani (1991) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
222 places, 10,411 data points, 1965–2025
Last refreshed

Measured in terawatt-hours.