Share of electricity production by source in South Korea

South Korea: Share of electricity production by source was 61.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
61.2%
Change on year
down 3.2%
World rank
113th
of 208 countries
All-time high
72.5%
in 2018
All-time low
45.7%
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Share of electricity production by source in South Korea, 1990–2023

0204060801990200620231990: 45.7 % of total1991: 48.8 % of total1992: 54.3 % of total1993: 57.4 % of total1994: 63.2 % of total1995: 61.1 % of total1996: 61.8 % of total1997: 63.6 % of total1998: 56.2 % of total1999: 54.7 % of total2000: 60.3 % of total2001: 61.9 % of total2002: 61.9 % of total2003: 60.5 % of total2004: 63 % of total2005: 60.6 % of total2006: 61.9 % of total2007: 63.3 % of total2008: 62.7 % of total2009: 64.4 % of total2010: 66.7 % of total2011: 68.4 % of total2012: 69.7 % of total2013: 71.6 % of total2014: 68.2 % of total2015: 67.1 % of total2016: 67.3 % of total2017: 69.8 % of total2018: 72.5 % of total2019: 69.3 % of total2020: 66 % of total2021: 67.3 % of total2022: 63.2 % of total2023: 61.2 % of total

Source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 61.2% for share of electricity production by source in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.2% on the previous year and down 14.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of electricity production by source in South Korea peaked at 72.5% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 45.7%, in 1990.

South Korea ranks 113th of 208 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 56.7% 45.7% 63.6% 10
2000s 62.0% 60.3% 64.4% 10
2010s 69.1% 66.7% 72.5% 10
2020s 64.4% 61.2% 67.3% 4

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 110 Bolivia 63.4% compare
  2. 111 Russia 62.2% compare
  3. 112 Faroe Islands 61.9% compare
  4. 114 Papua New Guinea 60.0% compare
  5. 115 Pakistan 59.7% compare
  6. 116 United States 59.3% compare

See the full ranking of 208 places →

More energy & mining data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of electricity production by source in South Korea?
Share of electricity production by source in South Korea was 61.2% in 2023, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of electricity production by source recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 72.5% in 2018.
What is the lowest share of electricity production by source recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 45.7% in 1990.
How does South Korea rank for share of electricity production by source?
South Korea ranks 113th out of 208 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of electricity production by source rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of electricity production by source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of electricity production by source
Unit
% of total
Source
IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
208 places, 6,157 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed