Per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables in South Korea
South Korea: Per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables was 56,682 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
56,682 kilowatt-hours per person
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
10th
of 76 countries
All-time high
60,698 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2018
All-time low
14,644 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1986
Years of data
40
1986–2025
Per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables in South Korea, 1986–2025
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.
Analysis
In 2025, per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables in South Korea stood at 56,682 kilowatt-hours per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables in South Korea peaked at 60,698 kilowatt-hours per person in 2018 and was at its lowest, 14,644 kilowatt-hours per person, in 1986.
That places South Korea 10th out of 76 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables in South Korea, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 14,644 kilowatt-hours per person | — |
| 1987 | 15,434 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 17,404 kilowatt-hours per person | +12.8% |
| 1989 | 18,359 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.5% |
| 1990 | 20,753 kilowatt-hours per person | +13.0% |
| 1991 | 23,737 kilowatt-hours per person | +14.4% |
| 1992 | 27,034 kilowatt-hours per person | +13.9% |
| 1993 | 29,685 kilowatt-hours per person | +9.8% |
| 1994 | 32,318 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.9% |
| 1995 | 34,854 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.8% |
| 1996 | 38,285 kilowatt-hours per person | +9.8% |
| 1997 | 41,788 kilowatt-hours per person | +9.1% |
| 1998 | 36,712 kilowatt-hours per person | -12.1% |
| 1999 | 39,459 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 41,470 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.1% |
| 2001 | 42,348 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 43,913 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 44,667 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 45,919 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 46,557 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 47,399 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 49,089 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 49,537 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 49,860 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 54,132 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.6% |
| 2011 | 56,464 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 56,827 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 56,814 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 55,788 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 55,800 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 57,778 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 58,818 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 60,698 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 58,793 kilowatt-hours per person | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 55,042 kilowatt-hours per person | -6.4% |
| 2021 | 58,401 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.1% |
| 2022 | 58,179 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 56,594 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.7% |
| 2024 | 57,477 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 56,682 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.4% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 56,682 kilowatt-hours per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 26,096 kilowatt-hours per person, 2.2× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 56,682 kilowatt-hours per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 29,859 kilowatt-hours per person, 1.9× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16,460 kilowatt-hours per person | 14,644 kilowatt-hours per person | 18,359 kilowatt-hours per person | 4 |
| 1990s | 32,462 kilowatt-hours per person | 20,753 kilowatt-hours per person | 41,788 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 46,076 kilowatt-hours per person | 41,470 kilowatt-hours per person | 49,860 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 57,191 kilowatt-hours per person | 54,132 kilowatt-hours per person | 60,698 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 57,062 kilowatt-hours per person | 55,042 kilowatt-hours per person | 58,401 kilowatt-hours per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 7 Oman 86,541 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 8 Canada 65,136 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 9 United States 62,421 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 11 Russia 54,045 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 12 Australia 52,436 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 13 USSR 50,549 kilowatt-hours per person
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 per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables in South Korea?
- Per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables in South Korea was 56,682 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 60,698 kilowatt-hours per person in 2018.
- What is the lowest per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 14,644 kilowatt-hours per person in 1986.
- How does South Korea rank for per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables?
- South Korea ranks 10th out of 76 countries with data for 2025.
- Is per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. 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); Smil (2017); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita energy from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 40 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 person.