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Dem. Rep. Korea vs Taiwan

17 metrics with data for both countries. The solid line is Dem. Rep. Korea; the dashed grey line is Taiwan.

Country A · Dem. Rep. Korea
Country B · Taiwan

Climate

CO2 emissions

Dem. Rep. Korea: 62.5 Mt CO2/year · 2024Taiwan: 262.3 Mt CO2/year · 2024
0100200300192019401960198020002020Taiwanhigh 1989

Carbon dioxide released each year from burning fossil fuels and industry. The main driver of global warming. Global Carbon Budget via Our World in Data

CO2 emissions per person

Dem. Rep. Korea: 2.36 t CO2/person/year · 2024Taiwan: 11.3 t CO2/person/year · 2024
0510192019401960198020002020Taiwanhigh 1989

Each person's share of their country's yearly CO2 emissions. A fairer way to compare countries of very different sizes. Global Carbon Budget via Our World in Data

Methane emissions

Dem. Rep. Korea: 19.0 Mt CO2e/year · 2024Taiwan: 15.5 Mt CO2e/year · 2024
01020301850190019502000Taiwanhigh 1985low 1953

Methane traps around 80 times more heat than CO2 over 20 years. It comes mainly from livestock, rice, landfill and leaky fossil fuel infrastructure. Global Carbon Project / PRIMAP via Our World in Data

All greenhouse gases

Dem. Rep. Korea: 89.8 Mt CO2e/year · 2024Taiwan: 283.5 Mt CO2e/year · 2024
01002003001850190019502000Taiwanhigh 1989low 1866

Every warming gas combined: CO2, methane and nitrous oxide, expressed as CO2-equivalents. Jones et al. / PRIMAP via Our World in Data

Nitrous oxide emissions

Dem. Rep. Korea: 1.93 Mt CO2e/year · 2024Taiwan: 5.73 Mt CO2e/year · 2024
05101850190019502000Taiwanhigh 1988

N2O is nearly 300 times more warming than CO2 and comes mostly from fertilised farmland and livestock. Jones et al. / PRIMAP via Our World in Data

Energy

Energy use per person

Dem. Rep. Korea: 6,984 kWh/person/year · 2023Taiwan: 54,013 kWh/person/year · 2024
020k40k60k19801990200020102020Taiwanhigh 1984low 2015

How much energy each person uses in a year, across electricity, transport, heating and industry. Energy Institute / Ember via Our World in Data

Solar electricity

Dem. Rep. Korea: 0.63 % of electricity · 2024Taiwan: 5.44 % of electricity · 2025
02420002005201020152020Taiwan

The share of a country's electricity generated from solar panels. The fastest-growing energy source in history. Ember / Energy Institute via Our World in Data

Wind electricity

Dem. Rep. Korea: 0.00 % of electricity · 2024Taiwan: 4.16 % of electricity · 2025
02420002005201020152020Taiwan

The share of a country's electricity generated from wind turbines, onshore and offshore. Ember / Energy Institute via Our World in Data

Coal electricity

Dem. Rep. Korea: 34.1 % of electricity · 2024Taiwan: 36.3 % of electricity · 2025
0204020002005201020152020Taiwanhigh 2019

The share of electricity still generated by burning coal, the most polluting fuel. The number that must reach zero first. Ember / Energy Institute via Our World in Data

Oil electricity

Dem. Rep. Korea: 2.58 % of electricity · 2024Taiwan: 1.60 % of electricity · 2025
0102020002005201020152020Taiwanhigh 2002low 2021

The share of a country's electricity generated by burning oil. Rare on big grids, still common on islands. Ember via Our World in Data

Gas electricity

Dem. Rep. Korea: 0.00 % of electricity · 2024Taiwan: 48.8 % of electricity · 2025
0204020002005201020152020Taiwan

The share of a country's electricity generated from natural gas, the least polluting fossil fuel but still a fossil fuel. Ember via Our World in Data

Land & Life

Tree cover loss

Dem. Rep. Korea: 11,981 ha/year · 2024Taiwan: 3,681 ha/year · 2024
010k20k2005201020152020Taiwanhigh 2019low 2013

Forest area lost each year to fire, logging, farming and storms. Not all loss is permanent deforestation, but the trend matters. Global Forest Watch (Hansen/UMD) via Our World in Data

Forest area

Dem. Rep. Korea: 64.2 % of land · 2025Taiwan: 67.0 % of land · 2015
02040601990200020102020Taiwan

How much of a country's land is covered by forest. FAO via Our World in Data

Meat supply per person

Dem. Rep. Korea: 13.8 kg/person/year · 2018Taiwan: 91.5 kg/person/year · 2023
05010019701980199020002010Taiwanhigh 1991low 1997

Meat available for consumption per person. Livestock drives around 15% of global emissions and most deforestation. FAO via Our World in Data

Nitrogen fertiliser use

Dem. Rep. Korea: 8.52 kg N/ha of cropland · 2023Taiwan: 159.6 kg N/ha of cropland · 2023
0100200198020002020Taiwanhigh 1990low 2022

Nitrogen applied per hectare of cropland. It feeds half the world, but runoff chokes rivers and coastal seas. FAO via Our World in Data

Urban population

Dem. Rep. Korea: 64.2 % living in cities · 2025Taiwan: 78.9 % living in cities · 2025
0501960198020002020Taiwan

The share of people living in towns and cities. Urbanisation shapes energy use, land use and how people experience climate change. UN World Urbanization Prospects via Our World in Data

Pollution

Air pollution (PM2.5)

Dem. Rep. Korea: 21.2 µg/m³ annual mean · 2024Taiwan: 16.6 µg/m³ annual mean · 2024
010203020002005201020152020Taiwanhigh 2015low 1999

Average exposure to fine particles small enough to enter the bloodstream. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³. World Bank / van Donkelaar et al. via Our World in Data