Share of electricity generation from oil in South Korea
South Korea: Share of electricity generation from oil was 1.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Share of electricity generation from oil in South Korea, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of electricity generation from oil in South Korea stood at 1.0%. That is the lowest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.1% on the previous year and down 60.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of electricity generation from oil in South Korea peaked at 27.8% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2025.
South Korea ranks 155th of 208 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.7% | 3.0% | 27.8% | 5 |
| 1990s | 12.7% | 4.4% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.1% | 3.3% | 11.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 1.3% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 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 share of electricity generation from oil in South Korea?
- Share of electricity generation from oil in South Korea was 1.0% in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of electricity generation from oil recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 27.8% in 1985.
- What is the lowest share of electricity generation from oil recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2025.
- How does South Korea rank for share of electricity generation from oil?
- South Korea ranks 155th out of 208 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of electricity generation from oil rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 60.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of electricity generation from oil. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total electricity produced in the country or region.