Share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid in South Korea

South Korea: Share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid was 0.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.9%
Change on year
up 88.5%
World rank
47th
of 54 countries
All-time high
1.3%
in 2021
All-time low
0.0%
in 2015
Years of data
11
2015–2025

Share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid in South Korea, 2015–2025

00.511.52015202020252015: 0.016 %2016: 0.022 %2017: 0.044 %2018: 0.289 %2019: 0.182 %2020: 0.548 %2021: 1.3 %2022: 0.806 %2023: 0.809 %2024: 0.457 %2025: 0.862 %

Source: International Energy Agency. Global EV Outlook 2025. – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2025, share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid in South Korea stood at 0.9%.

The figure is up 88.5% on the previous year and up 5,148.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid in South Korea peaked at 1.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2015.

That places South Korea 47th out of 54 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 0.1% 0.0% 0.3% 5
2020s 0.8% 0.5% 1.3% 6

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 44 Japan 1.2% compare
  2. 45 Bulgaria 1.2% compare
  3. 46 Singapore 1.0% compare
  4. 48 Malaysia 0.7% compare
  5. 49 Indonesia 0.7% compare
  6. 50 South Africa 0.6% compare

See the full ranking of 54 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid in South Korea?
Share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid in South Korea was 0.9% in 2025, according to International Energy Agency. Global EV Outlook 2025. – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 1.3% in 2021.
What is the lowest share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2015.
How does South Korea rank for share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid?
South Korea ranks 47th out of 54 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 5,148.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from International Energy Agency. Global EV Outlook 2025. – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of new cars sold that are battery-electric and plug-in hybrid
Unit
%
Source
International Energy Agency. Global EV Outlook 2025. – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
54 places, 637 data points, 2010–2025
Last refreshed

Plug-in hybrids cars can run using an electric motor and rechargeable battery, or an internal combustion engine. Their battery is usually smaller than a fully battery-electric.