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US vs South Korea CO2 per capita
United States has held the lead throughout the published window. In 1970 South Korea stood at roughly 9% of United States’s CO2 per capita; today the figure is about 83%, and the pair was closest in 2020 (88%).
| Year | United States | South Korea | South Korea as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 22.41 | 1.93 | 9% |
| 1970 | 22.41 | 1.93 | 9% |
| 1980 | 21.04 | 3.71 | 18% |
| 1990 | 19.96 | 6.07 | 30% |
| 2000 | 21.01 | 9.92 | 47% |
| 2010 | 17.85 | 12.37 | 69% |
| 2020 | 13.47 | 11.91 | 88% |
| 2024 | 13.62 | 11.36 | 83% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States pass South Korea in CO2 per capita?
It has not come to that. United States has posted the larger CO2 per capita in every published year (1970–2024).
How do United States and Korea, Rep. compare today?
United States is ahead: 13.62 against 11.36 — the trailing economy stands at about 83% of the leader.
Are these CO2 per capita figures nominal or adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — metric tons per capita — with no interpolation or estimation for missing years.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: