Average annual surface temperature in South Korea
South Korea: Average annual surface temperature was 13.4 °C in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
13.4 °C
Change on year
down 5.5%
World rank
137th
of 193 countries
All-time high
14.18 °C
in 2024
All-time low
9.66 °C
in 1947
Years of data
86
1940–2025
Average annual surface temperature in South Korea, 1940–2025
Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in °C.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 13.4 °C for average annual surface temperature in 2025.
That represents a change of down 5.5% on the previous year and up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual surface temperature in South Korea peaked at 14.18 °C in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.66 °C, in 1947.
That places South Korea 137th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.
Average annual surface temperature in South Korea, year by year
| Year | °C | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 10.36 °C | — |
| 1941 | 10.46 °C | +1.0% |
| 1942 | 11.03 °C | +5.5% |
| 1943 | 10.92 °C | -1.0% |
| 1944 | 10.85 °C | -0.6% |
| 1945 | 10.02 °C | -7.6% |
| 1946 | 11.45 °C | +14.3% |
| 1947 | 9.66 °C | -15.6% |
| 1948 | 11.65 °C | +20.5% |
| 1949 | 11.11 °C | -4.6% |
| 1950 | 11.26 °C | +1.3% |
| 1951 | 11.56 °C | +2.7% |
| 1952 | 11.54 °C | -0.1% |
| 1953 | 11.5 °C | -0.4% |
| 1954 | 11.76 °C | +2.3% |
| 1955 | 11.73 °C | -0.3% |
| 1956 | 10.43 °C | -11.1% |
| 1957 | 10.8 °C | +3.6% |
| 1958 | 11.75 °C | +8.8% |
| 1959 | 12.27 °C | +4.4% |
| 1960 | 12.14 °C | -1.1% |
| 1961 | 12.37 °C | +1.9% |
| 1962 | 11.58 °C | -6.4% |
| 1963 | 10.93 °C | -5.6% |
| 1964 | 12.16 °C | +11.3% |
| 1965 | 11.21 °C | -7.8% |
| 1966 | 11.47 °C | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 11.44 °C | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 11.47 °C | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 10.89 °C | -5.1% |
| 1970 | 11.17 °C | +2.6% |
| 1971 | 11.37 °C | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 11.65 °C | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 11.85 °C | +1.7% |
| 1974 | 10.83 °C | -8.7% |
| 1975 | 12.08 °C | +11.6% |
| 1976 | 11.18 °C | -7.5% |
| 1977 | 11.93 °C | +6.7% |
| 1978 | 12.34 °C | +3.4% |
| 1979 | 12.1 °C | -2.0% |
| 1980 | 10.71 °C | -11.5% |
| 1981 | 10.97 °C | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 11.97 °C | +9.1% |
| 1983 | 11.8 °C | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 11.21 °C | -4.9% |
| 1985 | 11.51 °C | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 10.96 °C | -4.8% |
| 1987 | 11.74 °C | +7.1% |
| 1988 | 11.68 °C | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 12.44 °C | +6.5% |
| 1990 | 12.68 °C | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 11.81 °C | -6.9% |
| 1992 | 12.07 °C | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 11.49 °C | -4.7% |
| 1994 | 12.95 °C | +12.7% |
| 1995 | 11.73 °C | -9.4% |
| 1996 | 11.62 °C | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 12.24 °C | +5.3% |
| 1998 | 13.11 °C | +7.1% |
| 1999 | 12.49 °C | -4.7% |
| 2000 | 12.11 °C | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 12.34 °C | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 12.25 °C | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 12.14 °C | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 12.94 °C | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 11.92 °C | -7.8% |
| 2006 | 12.55 °C | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 12.85 °C | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 12.6 °C | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 12.59 °C | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 12.2 °C | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 11.93 °C | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 11.86 °C | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 12.43 °C | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 12.71 °C | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 13.05 °C | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 13.25 °C | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 12.67 °C | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 12.58 °C | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 13.1 °C | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 12.85 °C | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 13.19 °C | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 12.8 °C | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 13.5 °C | +5.5% |
| 2024 | 14.18 °C | +5.0% |
| 2025 | 13.4 °C | -5.5% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 13.4 °C is above the median for high income countries, which is 12.86 °C, 1.0× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 13.4 °C is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 24.82 °C, 54% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 10.75 °C | 9.66 °C | 11.65 °C | 10 |
| 1950s | 11.46 °C | 10.43 °C | 12.27 °C | 10 |
| 1960s | 11.57 °C | 10.89 °C | 12.37 °C | 10 |
| 1970s | 11.65 °C | 10.83 °C | 12.34 °C | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.5 °C | 10.71 °C | 12.44 °C | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.22 °C | 11.49 °C | 13.11 °C | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.43 °C | 11.92 °C | 12.94 °C | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.58 °C | 11.86 °C | 13.25 °C | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.32 °C | 12.8 °C | 14.18 °C | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More reference data data for South Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9638 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9281 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2074 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual surface temperature in South Korea?
- Average annual surface temperature in South Korea was 13.4 °C in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average annual surface temperature recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 14.18 °C in 2024.
- What is the lowest average annual surface temperature recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.66 °C in 1947.
- How does South Korea rank for average annual surface temperature?
- South Korea ranks 137th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is average annual surface temperature rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average annual surface temperature. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Temperature of the air measured 2 meters above the ground, encompassing land, sea, and in-land water surfaces.