South Korea vs Pakistan: Emissions of air pollutants
South Korea
1.63 million tonnes
in 2022
Pakistan
1.68 million tonnes
in 2022
South Korea rank
14th
Pakistan rank
13th
Emissions of air pollutants over time
- South Korea
- Pakistan
How they compare
Pakistan currently reports 1.68 million tonnes against 1.63 million tonnes in South Korea, a difference of 46,670 tonnes.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 273 shared years of data; in 1750 it was Pakistan ahead.
South Korea ranks 14th and Pakistan ranks 13th of 220 countries.
Across the 28 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 4 and Pakistan in 24.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Pakistan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 1,061 tonnes | 1,523 tonnes | 462.08 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1760s | 1,068 tonnes | 1,550 tonnes | 481.68 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1770s | 1,075 tonnes | 1,577 tonnes | 501.93 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1780s | 1,082 tonnes | 1,604 tonnes | 522.83 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1790s | 1,088 tonnes | 1,632 tonnes | 544.43 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1800s | 1,094 tonnes | 1,678 tonnes | 583.35 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1810s | 1,102 tonnes | 1,800 tonnes | 697.7 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1820s | 1,090 tonnes | 1,998 tonnes | 908.27 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1830s | 1,075 tonnes | 2,217 tonnes | 1,141 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1840s | 1,088 tonnes | 2,458 tonnes | 1,369 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1850s | 1,102 tonnes | 2,734 tonnes | 1,632 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1860s | 1,118 tonnes | 3,035 tonnes | 1,918 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1870s | 1,132 tonnes | 3,377 tonnes | 2,245 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1880s | 1,144 tonnes | 3,689 tonnes | 2,544 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1890s | 1,169 tonnes | 4,079 tonnes | 2,910 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1900s | 1,475 tonnes | 5,854 tonnes | 4,379 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1910s | 2,526 tonnes | 9,745 tonnes | 7,219 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1920s | 4,858 tonnes | 14,889 tonnes | 10,031 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1930s | 10,201 tonnes | 22,228 tonnes | 12,027 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1940s | 18,882 tonnes | 34,204 tonnes | 15,321 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1950s | 26,878 tonnes | 87,120 tonnes | 60,242 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1960s | 76,132 tonnes | 180,552 tonnes | 104,420 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1970s | 285,262 tonnes | 302,666 tonnes | 17,404 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1980s | 637,448 tonnes | 478,260 tonnes | 159,189 tonnes | South Korea |
| 1990s | 1.84 million tonnes | 737,444 tonnes | 1.10 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 2000s | 2.33 million tonnes | 1.15 million tonnes | 1.18 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 2010s | 1.80 million tonnes | 1.44 million tonnes | 361,078 tonnes | South Korea |
| 2020s | 1.61 million tonnes | 1.67 million tonnes | 56,020 tonnes | Pakistan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher emissions of air pollutants, South Korea or Pakistan?
- Pakistan, at 1.68 million tonnes against 1.63 million tonnes in South Korea as of 2022.
- What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between South Korea and Pakistan?
- 46,670 tonnes, with Pakistan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Pakistan?
- 273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.
- How do South Korea and Pakistan rank globally for emissions of air pollutants?
- South Korea ranks 14th and Pakistan ranks 13th 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.