Primary energy use in South Korea
South Korea: Primary energy use was 3,604 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
3,604 terawatt-hours
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
8th
of 219 countries
All-time high
3,660 terawatt-hours
in 2024
All-time low
73.43 terawatt-hours
in 1965
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Primary energy use in South Korea, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 3,604 terawatt-hours for primary energy use in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy use in South Korea peaked at 3,660 terawatt-hours in 2024 and was at its lowest, 73.43 terawatt-hours, in 1965.
South Korea ranks 8th of 219 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Primary energy use in South Korea, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 73.43 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 88.84 terawatt-hours | +21.0% |
| 1967 | 102.42 terawatt-hours | +15.3% |
| 1968 | 117.7 terawatt-hours | +14.9% |
| 1969 | 141.54 terawatt-hours | +20.3% |
| 1970 | 165.08 terawatt-hours | +16.6% |
| 1971 | 178.61 terawatt-hours | +8.2% |
| 1972 | 185.18 terawatt-hours | +3.7% |
| 1973 | 229.82 terawatt-hours | +24.1% |
| 1974 | 237.84 terawatt-hours | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 262.3 terawatt-hours | +10.3% |
| 1976 | 293.63 terawatt-hours | +11.9% |
| 1977 | 338.94 terawatt-hours | +15.4% |
| 1978 | 379.62 terawatt-hours | +12.0% |
| 1979 | 437.27 terawatt-hours | +15.2% |
| 1980 | 450.94 terawatt-hours | +3.1% |
| 1981 | 470.81 terawatt-hours | +4.4% |
| 1982 | 472.92 terawatt-hours | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 514.28 terawatt-hours | +8.7% |
| 1984 | 563.08 terawatt-hours | +9.5% |
| 1985 | 621.16 terawatt-hours | +10.3% |
| 1986 | 699.84 terawatt-hours | +12.7% |
| 1987 | 776.31 terawatt-hours | +10.9% |
| 1988 | 870.54 terawatt-hours | +12.1% |
| 1989 | 945.55 terawatt-hours | +8.6% |
| 1990 | 1,080 terawatt-hours | +14.2% |
| 1991 | 1,229 terawatt-hours | +13.8% |
| 1992 | 1,382 terawatt-hours | +12.4% |
| 1993 | 1,513 terawatt-hours | +9.5% |
| 1994 | 1,639 terawatt-hours | +8.3% |
| 1995 | 1,788 terawatt-hours | +9.1% |
| 1996 | 1,975 terawatt-hours | +10.5% |
| 1997 | 2,156 terawatt-hours | +9.2% |
| 1998 | 1,973 terawatt-hours | -8.5% |
| 1999 | 2,152 terawatt-hours | +9.0% |
| 2000 | 2,274 terawatt-hours | +5.7% |
| 2001 | 2,335 terawatt-hours | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 2,442 terawatt-hours | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 2,521 terawatt-hours | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 2,592 terawatt-hours | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 2,677 terawatt-hours | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 2,731 terawatt-hours | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 2,805 terawatt-hours | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 2,861 terawatt-hours | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 2,877 terawatt-hours | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 3,101 terawatt-hours | +7.8% |
| 2011 | 3,256 terawatt-hours | +5.0% |
| 2012 | 3,291 terawatt-hours | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 3,286 terawatt-hours | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 3,324 terawatt-hours | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 3,380 terawatt-hours | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 3,495 terawatt-hours | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 3,526 terawatt-hours | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 3,599 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 3,554 terawatt-hours | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 3,417 terawatt-hours | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 3,598 terawatt-hours | +5.3% |
| 2022 | 3,646 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 3,581 terawatt-hours | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 3,660 terawatt-hours | +2.2% |
| 2025 | 3,604 terawatt-hours | -1.5% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 3,604 terawatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 158.21 terawatt-hours, 22.8× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 3,604 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 56.44 terawatt-hours, 63.8× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 104.78 terawatt-hours | 73.43 terawatt-hours | 141.54 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 270.83 terawatt-hours | 165.08 terawatt-hours | 437.27 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 638.54 terawatt-hours | 450.94 terawatt-hours | 945.55 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,689 terawatt-hours | 1,080 terawatt-hours | 2,156 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,611 terawatt-hours | 2,274 terawatt-hours | 2,877 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,381 terawatt-hours | 3,101 terawatt-hours | 3,599 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,584 terawatt-hours | 3,417 terawatt-hours | 3,660 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
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 primary energy use in South Korea?
- Primary energy use in South Korea was 3,604 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy use recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 3,660 terawatt-hours in 2024.
- What is the lowest primary energy use recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 73.43 terawatt-hours in 1965.
- How does South Korea rank for primary energy use?
- South Korea ranks 8th out of 219 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary energy use rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. 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); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy use. 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 of total energy supply.