Primary energy from solar and wind in South Korea
South Korea: Primary energy from solar and wind was 41.53 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
41.53 terawatt-hours
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
19th
of 111 countries
All-time high
41.53 terawatt-hours
in 2025
All-time low
0 terawatt-hours
in 1965
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Primary energy from solar and wind in South Korea, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 41.53 terawatt-hours for primary energy from solar and wind in 2025. That is the highest value across all 61 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 645.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy from solar and wind in South Korea peaked at 41.53 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 terawatt-hours, in 1965.
South Korea ranks 19th of 111 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Primary energy from solar and wind in South Korea, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1967 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1968 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1969 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1970 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1971 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1972 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1973 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1974 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1975 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1976 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1977 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1978 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1979 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1980 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1981 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1982 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1983 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1984 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1985 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1986 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1987 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1988 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1989 | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1990 | 0.001 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1991 | 0.001 terawatt-hours | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.002 terawatt-hours | +100.0% |
| 1993 | 0.003 terawatt-hours | +50.0% |
| 1994 | 0.003 terawatt-hours | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.002 terawatt-hours | -33.3% |
| 1996 | 0.003 terawatt-hours | +50.0% |
| 1997 | 0.004 terawatt-hours | +33.3% |
| 1998 | 0.006 terawatt-hours | +50.0% |
| 1999 | 0.0104 terawatt-hours | +73.5% |
| 2000 | 0.022 terawatt-hours | +111.0% |
| 2001 | 0.0188 terawatt-hours | -14.5% |
| 2002 | 0.0219 terawatt-hours | +16.8% |
| 2003 | 0.0326 terawatt-hours | +48.8% |
| 2004 | 0.0573 terawatt-hours | +75.7% |
| 2005 | 0.1443 terawatt-hours | +151.7% |
| 2006 | 0.2699 terawatt-hours | +87.1% |
| 2007 | 0.4469 terawatt-hours | +65.6% |
| 2008 | 0.7203 terawatt-hours | +61.2% |
| 2009 | 1.25 terawatt-hours | +73.7% |
| 2010 | 1.59 terawatt-hours | +27.1% |
| 2011 | 1.79 terawatt-hours | +12.3% |
| 2012 | 2.04 terawatt-hours | +14.2% |
| 2013 | 2.82 terawatt-hours | +38.0% |
| 2014 | 3.84 terawatt-hours | +36.4% |
| 2015 | 5.57 terawatt-hours | +45.1% |
| 2016 | 7.2 terawatt-hours | +29.2% |
| 2017 | 9.91 terawatt-hours | +37.6% |
| 2018 | 12.63 terawatt-hours | +27.5% |
| 2019 | 16.87 terawatt-hours | +33.6% |
| 2020 | 22.49 terawatt-hours | +33.3% |
| 2021 | 27.9 terawatt-hours | +24.1% |
| 2022 | 34.1 terawatt-hours | +22.2% |
| 2023 | 36.63 terawatt-hours | +7.4% |
| 2024 | 41.19 terawatt-hours | +12.4% |
| 2025 | 41.53 terawatt-hours | +0.8% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 41.53 terawatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.96 terawatt-hours, 3.8× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 41.53 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.81 terawatt-hours, 8.6× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0035 terawatt-hours | 0.001 terawatt-hours | 0.0104 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2986 terawatt-hours | 0.0188 terawatt-hours | 1.25 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.43 terawatt-hours | 1.59 terawatt-hours | 16.87 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.97 terawatt-hours | 22.49 terawatt-hours | 41.53 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 from solar and wind in South Korea?
- Primary energy from solar and wind in South Korea was 41.53 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy from solar and wind recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 41.53 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest primary energy from solar and wind recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 terawatt-hours in 1965.
- How does South Korea rank for primary energy from solar and wind?
- South Korea ranks 19th out of 111 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary energy from solar and wind rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 645.2%. 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) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy from solar and wind. 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.