South Korea vs Mexico: Emissions of air pollutants
South Korea
1.63 million tonnes
in 2022
Mexico
1.23 million tonnes
in 2022
South Korea rank
14th
Mexico rank
17th
Emissions of air pollutants over time
- South Korea
- Mexico
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 1.63 million tonnes against 1.23 million tonnes in Mexico, a difference of 404,830 tonnes.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.3 times Mexico's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 273 shared years of data; in 1750 it was Mexico ahead.
South Korea ranks 14th and Mexico ranks 17th of 220 countries.
Across the 28 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 2 and Mexico in 26.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Mexico | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 1,061 tonnes | 1,948 tonnes | 887.33 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1760s | 1,068 tonnes | 2,009 tonnes | 940.46 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1770s | 1,075 tonnes | 2,071 tonnes | 995.51 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1780s | 1,082 tonnes | 2,134 tonnes | 1,053 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1790s | 1,088 tonnes | 2,199 tonnes | 1,112 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1800s | 1,094 tonnes | 2,283 tonnes | 1,189 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1810s | 1,102 tonnes | 2,392 tonnes | 1,290 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1820s | 1,090 tonnes | 2,525 tonnes | 1,435 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1830s | 1,075 tonnes | 2,691 tonnes | 1,616 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1840s | 1,088 tonnes | 2,871 tonnes | 1,783 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1850s | 1,102 tonnes | 3,139 tonnes | 2,037 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1860s | 1,118 tonnes | 3,487 tonnes | 2,369 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1870s | 1,132 tonnes | 4,075 tonnes | 2,943 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1880s | 1,144 tonnes | 5,101 tonnes | 3,957 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1890s | 1,169 tonnes | 8,063 tonnes | 6,894 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1900s | 1,475 tonnes | 17,020 tonnes | 15,546 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1910s | 2,526 tonnes | 75,997 tonnes | 73,471 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1920s | 4,858 tonnes | 130,693 tonnes | 125,835 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1930s | 10,201 tonnes | 178,381 tonnes | 168,180 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1940s | 18,882 tonnes | 212,333 tonnes | 193,451 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1950s | 26,878 tonnes | 289,336 tonnes | 262,458 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1960s | 76,132 tonnes | 444,849 tonnes | 368,717 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1970s | 285,262 tonnes | 888,594 tonnes | 603,332 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1980s | 637,448 tonnes | 1.56 million tonnes | 917,928 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1990s | 1.84 million tonnes | 1.88 million tonnes | 40,986 tonnes | Mexico |
| 2000s | 2.33 million tonnes | 2.12 million tonnes | 208,504 tonnes | South Korea |
| 2010s | 1.80 million tonnes | 1.92 million tonnes | 122,270 tonnes | Mexico |
| 2020s | 1.61 million tonnes | 1.21 million tonnes | 408,267 tonnes | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher emissions of air pollutants, South Korea or Mexico?
- South Korea, at 1.63 million tonnes against 1.23 million tonnes in Mexico as of 2022.
- What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between South Korea and Mexico?
- 404,830 tonnes, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Mexico?
- 273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.
- How do South Korea and Mexico rank globally for emissions of air pollutants?
- South Korea ranks 14th and Mexico ranks 17th of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) are gases that are mainly formed during the burning of fossil fuels. Exposure to NOₓ gases can have negative impacts on respiratory health. NOₓ gases can also lead to the formation of ozone – another air pollutant.