South Korea vs United States: Oil consumption per person
South Korea
29,144 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
United States
29,135 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
South Korea rank
30th
United States rank
31st
Oil consumption per person over time
- South Korea
- United States
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 29,144 kilowatt-hours per person against 29,135 kilowatt-hours per person in United States, a difference of 9 kilowatt-hours per person.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 61 shared years of data; in 1965 it was United States ahead.
South Korea ranks 30th and United States ranks 31st of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 1 and United States in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,379 kilowatt-hours per person | 35,289 kilowatt-hours per person | 33,909 kilowatt-hours per person | United States |
| 1970s | 4,846 kilowatt-hours per person | 43,299 kilowatt-hours per person | 38,453 kilowatt-hours per person | United States |
| 1980s | 8,166 kilowatt-hours per person | 37,104 kilowatt-hours per person | 28,938 kilowatt-hours per person | United States |
| 1990s | 22,448 kilowatt-hours per person | 36,449 kilowatt-hours per person | 14,001 kilowatt-hours per person | United States |
| 2000s | 26,196 kilowatt-hours per person | 36,469 kilowatt-hours per person | 10,272 kilowatt-hours per person | United States |
| 2010s | 27,611 kilowatt-hours per person | 30,472 kilowatt-hours per person | 2,861 kilowatt-hours per person | United States |
| 2020s | 28,863 kilowatt-hours per person | 28,643 kilowatt-hours per person | 220.03 kilowatt-hours per person | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher oil consumption per person, South Korea or United States?
- South Korea, at 29,144 kilowatt-hours per person against 29,135 kilowatt-hours per person in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in oil consumption per person between South Korea and United States?
- 9 kilowatt-hours per person, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and United States?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do South Korea and United States rank globally for oil consumption per person?
- South Korea ranks 30th and United States ranks 31st of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Oil consumption per person. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person. Includes refined petroleum products and other liquid fuels.