Oil consumption per person in South Korea
South Korea: Oil consumption per person was 29,144 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
29,144 kilowatt-hours per person
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
30th
of 219 countries
All-time high
29,901 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2024
All-time low
516.47 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1965
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Oil consumption per person in South Korea, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.
Analysis
In 2025, oil consumption per person in South Korea stood at 29,144 kilowatt-hours per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, oil consumption per person in South Korea peaked at 29,901 kilowatt-hours per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 516.47 kilowatt-hours per person, in 1965.
That places South Korea 30th out of 219 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Oil consumption per person in South Korea, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 516.47 kilowatt-hours per person | — |
| 1966 | 758.74 kilowatt-hours per person | +46.9% |
| 1967 | 1,287 kilowatt-hours per person | +69.7% |
| 1968 | 1,862 kilowatt-hours per person | +44.6% |
| 1969 | 2,473 kilowatt-hours per person | +32.8% |
| 1970 | 3,023 kilowatt-hours per person | +22.3% |
| 1971 | 3,343 kilowatt-hours per person | +10.6% |
| 1972 | 3,418 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.2% |
| 1973 | 4,124 kilowatt-hours per person | +20.6% |
| 1974 | 4,180 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 4,660 kilowatt-hours per person | +11.5% |
| 1976 | 5,159 kilowatt-hours per person | +10.7% |
| 1977 | 6,069 kilowatt-hours per person | +17.6% |
| 1978 | 6,858 kilowatt-hours per person | +13.0% |
| 1979 | 7,629 kilowatt-hours per person | +11.2% |
| 1980 | 7,472 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.1% |
| 1981 | 7,293 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.4% |
| 1982 | 7,116 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 7,326 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 7,249 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 7,561 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.3% |
| 1986 | 8,124 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.4% |
| 1987 | 8,418 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 9,924 kilowatt-hours per person | +17.9% |
| 1989 | 11,182 kilowatt-hours per person | +12.7% |
| 1990 | 13,382 kilowatt-hours per person | +19.7% |
| 1991 | 16,142 kilowatt-hours per person | +20.6% |
| 1992 | 19,440 kilowatt-hours per person | +20.4% |
| 1993 | 21,235 kilowatt-hours per person | +9.2% |
| 1994 | 23,184 kilowatt-hours per person | +9.2% |
| 1995 | 25,162 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.5% |
| 1996 | 26,764 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.4% |
| 1997 | 29,228 kilowatt-hours per person | +9.2% |
| 1998 | 24,167 kilowatt-hours per person | -17.3% |
| 1999 | 25,772 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.6% |
| 2000 | 26,242 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 26,092 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 26,412 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 26,513 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 26,225 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 26,274 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 26,216 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 26,822 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 25,482 kilowatt-hours per person | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 25,684 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 26,123 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 26,195 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 26,875 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 26,662 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 26,312 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 27,338 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 29,621 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.4% |
| 2017 | 29,223 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 29,041 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 28,724 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 27,106 kilowatt-hours per person | -5.6% |
| 2021 | 28,920 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.7% |
| 2022 | 29,324 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 28,785 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 29,901 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.9% |
| 2025 | 29,144 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.5% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 29,144 kilowatt-hours per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 19,548 kilowatt-hours per person, 1.5× the median. (76 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 29,144 kilowatt-hours per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8,326 kilowatt-hours per person, 3.5× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Oil consumption per person in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | +69.7% | 758.74 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,287 kilowatt-hours per person |
| 1966 | +46.9% | 516.47 kilowatt-hours per person | 758.74 kilowatt-hours per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,379 kilowatt-hours per person | 516.47 kilowatt-hours per person | 2,473 kilowatt-hours per person | 5 |
| 1970s | 4,846 kilowatt-hours per person | 3,023 kilowatt-hours per person | 7,629 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 8,166 kilowatt-hours per person | 7,116 kilowatt-hours per person | 11,182 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 22,448 kilowatt-hours per person | 13,382 kilowatt-hours per person | 29,228 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 26,196 kilowatt-hours per person | 25,482 kilowatt-hours per person | 26,822 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 27,611 kilowatt-hours per person | 26,123 kilowatt-hours per person | 29,621 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 28,863 kilowatt-hours per person | 27,106 kilowatt-hours per person | 29,901 kilowatt-hours per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 27 Seychelles 30,863 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 28 Canada 30,453 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 29 Iceland 29,334 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 31 United States 29,135 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 32 Belgium 27,825 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 33 Oman 26,450 kilowatt-hours per person compare
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 oil consumption per person in South Korea?
- Oil consumption per person in South Korea was 29,144 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest oil consumption per person recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 29,901 kilowatt-hours per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest oil consumption per person recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 516.47 kilowatt-hours per person in 1965.
- How does South Korea rank for oil consumption per person?
- South Korea ranks 30th out of 219 countries with data for 2025.
- Is oil consumption per person rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. 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) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Oil consumption per person. 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 kilowatt-hours per person. Includes refined petroleum products and other liquid fuels.