Fossil fuel consumption in South Korea
South Korea: Fossil fuel consumption was 1,506 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Fossil fuel consumption in South Korea, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fossil fuel consumption in South Korea is 1,506 terawatt-hours, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and up 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fossil fuel consumption in South Korea peaked at 1,546 terawatt-hours in 2024 and was at its lowest, 15.12 terawatt-hours, in 1965.
South Korea ranks 7th of 79 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 42.77 terawatt-hours | 15.12 terawatt-hours | 78.77 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 173.76 terawatt-hours | 98.39 terawatt-hours | 287.68 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 335.34 terawatt-hours | 280.07 terawatt-hours | 486.68 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,020 terawatt-hours | 589.91 terawatt-hours | 1,343 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,250 terawatt-hours | 1,227 terawatt-hours | 1,292 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,396 terawatt-hours | 1,274 terawatt-hours | 1,520 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,494 terawatt-hours | 1,406 terawatt-hours | 1,546 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More energy & mining data for South Korea
- Fuel imports 25.7% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 6.7% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 2.4% (2024)
- Gas production 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel exports 7.7% (2024)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 3.3% (2024)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 53.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fossil fuel consumption in South Korea?
- Fossil fuel consumption in South Korea was 1,506 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fossil fuel consumption recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1,546 terawatt-hours in 2024.
- What is the lowest fossil fuel consumption recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.12 terawatt-hours in 1965.
- How does South Korea rank for fossil fuel consumption?
- South Korea ranks 7th out of 79 countries with data for 2025.
- Is fossil fuel consumption rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.0%. 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) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fossil fuel consumption. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.