+3.9 °C
Temperature
20502080
- Higher emissions SSP5-8.5
- +2.8 °C → +3.9 °C
- Lower emissions SSP2-4.5
- +2.3 °C → +2.8 °C
Hottest month +3.9 °C by 2080 (SSP5-8.5).
South Korea Climate risk profile and hazard map
- Region
- Asia
- Subregion
- Eastern Asia
- Income
- High income, OECD
- ISO
- KOR
South Korea: low across the board; strong social keeps overall risk contained.
Live events
Hourly disaster feed, shown alongside the standing risk below. Open the live mapHow risky is South Korea, overall?
The composite and its five dimensions. Higher means more risk.
Low 37 / 100
5y
- 58 Climate Medium
- 43 Nature -0.5 Medium
- 15 Social Very low
- 39 Governance Low
- 27 Adaptation -1.8 Low
Which hazards threaten South Korea most?
Physical hazard intensity. INFORM Risk Index, 0 to 10.
- 7.1FloodHigh
- 1.2DRR capacityVery low
South Korea in global context
Risk-ranked against its cohorts. Click any country to open its page.
1
Eastern Asia
#1 of 5 · median 437
Asia
#7 of 48 · median 4716
High income: OECD
#16 of 31 · median 37Put two countries head to head
Compare with any neighbour on all risks and their 5-year trajectory.
South Korea: outlook from 2050 to 2100
Projected physical change under a moderate (SSP2-4.5) and a high (SSP5-8.5) emissions pathway.
By 2080 under a high-emissions pathway, South Korea is projected to warm +3.9 °C, with annual rainfall changing +137 mm.
+137 mm
Precipitation
20502080
- Higher emissions SSP5-8.5
- +94 mm → +137 mm
- Lower emissions SSP2-4.5
- +76 mm → +65 mm
Driest month +2 mm by 2080 (SSP5-8.5).
9.4%
Water stress
20502080
- Higher emissions SSP5-8.5
- 4.6% → 9.4%
- Current path SSP3-7.0
- 9.4% → 9.4%
Share of land under high or extreme water stress; 20% today.
4%
River flooding
20502080
- Higher emissions SSP5-8.5
- 3.4% → 4%
- Lower emissions SSP2-4.5
- 4.1% → 4.3%
Land exposed to a 100-year river flood; 4.2% today.
Sea level
South Korea: under high emissions, a 100-year coastal flood in 2080 could reach 8 of its largest cities.
Coastal sea-level rise
20502100
- Higher emissions SSP5-8.5
- +0.25 m → +0.83 m
- Lower emissions SSP2-4.5
- +0.21 m → +0.58 m
Largest exposed cities
PopulationMax depth
Max depth: the deepest water within 12 km of the city center in a 100-year coastal flood in 2080, under RCP8.5 with high-end sea-level rise (95th percentile), ignoring flood defenses and land subsidence. Source: WRI Aqueduct Floods.
Regional estimate for the country's coast (IPCC AR6 median), not the global average.
Projections from public CMIP6 (WorldClim 2.1, 5-model median, against a 1970-2000 baseline), WRI Aqueduct 4.0 and IPCC AR6 data. Monthly and bioclimatic aggregates, not daily-threshold indices. Forward-looking estimates, not a re-scored site risk.
Indicator panel
Every source-level indicator behind the dimensions above. Sort by score, value, or name.
Energy Imports | 84.6 % of energy use | 97.4 |
Renewable Energy Share | 3.60 % of total energy | 96.3 |
Renewable Electricity Share | 6.77 % of total | 93.2 |
Fossil Fuel Consumption | 79.0 % of total | 79.7 |
Flood Risk | 7.10 0-10 | 71.0 |
Coal Electricity Share | 33.0 % of total | 71.0 |
Drought Index (SPEI) | 0.11 index | 58.1 |
Land Surface Temperature | 16.4 deg C change | 42.6 |
CO2 Emissions Per Capita | 11.0 metric tons | 35.0 |
Energy Use Per Capita | 5351 kg oil eq per capita | 33.7 |
Energy Intensity | 5.11 MJ/$2017 PPP GDP | 32.3 |
Heating Degree Days | 4652 degree days | 32.0 |
PM2.5 Air Pollution | 25.9 ug/m3 | 26.2 |
Cooling Degree Days | 1061 degree days | 14.5 |
N2O Emissions Per Capita | 0.19 kt CO2e per capita | 4.5 |
Heat Index | 0.44 index | 0.3 |
Access to Clean Fuels | 100 % population | 0.0 |
Environmental Treaties Engagement | 1.00 0-1 | 100.0 |
Protected Areas | 5.90 % of land | 94.1 |
Dam Capacity | 0.91 0-1 | 90.8 |
Projected Marine Biodiversity Loss | 0.88 0-1 | 88.4 |
Energy Import Dependency | 0.85 0-1 | 84.6 |
Projected Warm Period Change | 0.83 0-1 | 83.5 |
Projected Cereal Yield Change | 0.82 0-1 | 82.2 |
Freshwater Withdrawal | 45.0 % of internal resources | 81.4 |
Urban Concentration | 0.80 0-1 | 80.0 |
Projected Biome Distribution Change | 0.73 0-1 | 72.9 |
Projected Annual Runoff Change | 0.73 0-1 | 72.7 |
Food Production Index | 101 index | 71.7 |
Earthquake Risk | 6.90 0-10 | 69.0 |
Projected Vector Disease Change | 0.66 0-1 | 66.0 |
Health Expenditure Per Capita | 0.63 0-1 | 63.3 |
Tsunami Risk | 5.60 0-10 | 56.0 |
Natural Capital Dependency | 0.48 0-1 | 48.3 |
Projected Hydropower Change | 0.44 0-1 | 43.7 |
Protected Biome Areas | 0.40 0-1 | 39.5 |
Freshwater Withdrawal Rate | 0.39 0-1 | 38.6 |
Age Dependency Ratio | 0.37 0-1 | 36.9 |
Forest Area | 64.2 % of land | 32.1 |
Projected Groundwater Change | 0.29 0-1 | 28.6 |
Quality of Trade Infrastructure | 0.23 0-1 | 23.1 |
Rural Population | 0.20 0-1 | 20.0 |
Paved Roads | 0.20 0-1 | 19.8 |
Agricultural Land | 16.2 % of land | 18.8 |
Projected Flood Hazard Change | 0.18 0-1 | 17.6 |
Projected Sea Level Rise Impact | 0.16 0-1 | 16.0 |
Agricultural Capacity | 0.14 0-1 | 14.2 |
Population Below 5m | 0.13 0-1 | 12.9 |
Projected Population Change | 0.12 0-1 | 12.1 |
Food Import Dependency | 0.09 0-1 | 9.5 |
Projected Climate-Related Deaths | 0.09 0-1 | 9.1 |
Water Dependency Ratio | 0.07 0-1 | 7.0 |
Threatened Mammal Species | 12.0 count | 6.3 |
Agriculture GDP Share | 1.60 % of GDP | 4.4 |
Water Stress | 85.2 % | 2.2 |
Ecological Footprint | 0.02 0-1 | 2.2 |
Access to Reliable Drinking Water | 0.01 0-1 | 0.7 |
Access to Improved Sanitation | 0.01 0-1 | 0.6 |
Tree Cover Loss | 17344 hectares | 0.3 |
Natural Resource Depletion | 0.03 % of GNI | 0.0 |
Forest Depletion | 0.00 % of GNI | 0.0 |
Child Malnutrition | 0.00 0-1 | 0.0 |
Dependency Ratio | 0.00 0-1 | 0.0 |
Slum Population | 0.00 0-1 | 0.0 |
Electricity Access | 0.00 0-1 | 0.0 |
Disaster Preparedness | 0.00 0-1 | 0.0 |
Primary School Enrollment | 99.0 % gross | 64.5 |
School Gender Parity | 1.00 ratio | 59.7 |
Net Migration | 87800 persons | 58.0 |
GDP Growth | 1.36 % annual | 51.3 |
Aging Population | 18.3 % population | 48.2 |
Uprooted People | 4.20 0-10 | 42.0 |
Income Share Bottom 20% | 7.50 % | 38.0 |
Overweight Adults | 35.9 % adults | 31.5 |
Gini Coefficient | 32.9 0-100 | 28.4 |
Gender Labor Ratio | 77.2 ratio F/M | 28.1 |
Labor Participation | 70.7 % (15+) | 27.8 |
Communicable Disease Deaths | 12.8 % | 18.1 |
Shared Prosperity Growth | 3.71 % annual | 16.1 |
Unmet Contraception Need | 8.61 % | 11.1 |
Life Expectancy | 83.4 years | 9.2 |
Food Security | 0.80 0-10 | 8.0 |
Unemployment Rate | 2.67 % | 7.3 |
Internet Users | 97.4 % population | 2.9 |
Population Density | 529 people/km2 | 2.8 |
ESG Performance Score | 2.57 0-100 | 2.5 |
Health Conditions | 0.20 0-10 | 2.0 |
Children Under 5 | 0.20 0-10 | 2.0 |
Adult Literacy Rate | 98.8 % | 1.8 |
Under-5 Mortality Rate | 2.80 per 1,000 | 1.2 |
Aid Dependency | 0.10 0-10 | 1.0 |
Recent Shocks | 0.10 0-10 | 1.0 |
Safe Drinking Water | 99.3 % population | 0.8 |
Sanitation Access | 99.4 % population | 0.6 |
Development and Deprivation | 0.00 0-10 | 0.0 |
Access to Electricity | 100 % population | 0.0 |
Hospital Beds | 12.8 per 1,000 | 0.0 |
Undernourishment | 2.50 % population | 0.0 |
Fertility Rate | 0.72 births per woman | 0.0 |
Scientific Articles | 76936 count | 91.4 |
Patent Applications | 186245 count | 86.9 |
Women in Parliament | 19.1 % seats | 68.9 |
Legal Rights Strength | 5.00 0-12 | 58.3 |
Political Stability | 0.61 -2.5 to +2.5 | 37.8 |
Voice and Accountability | 0.86 -2.5 to +2.5 | 32.8 |
Control of Corruption | 0.89 -2.5 to +2.5 | 32.1 |
INFORM Governance Index | 2.80 0-10 | 28.0 |
Regulatory Quality | 1.12 -2.5 to +2.5 | 27.5 |
Rule of Law | 1.25 -2.5 to +2.5 | 25.0 |
Government Effectiveness | 1.40 -2.5 to +2.5 | 21.9 |
R&D Expenditure | 5.21 % of GDP | 13.5 |
Disaster Risk Reduction | 1.20 0-10 | 12.0 |
Healthcare Access | 1.00 0-10 | 10.0 |
Communication Infrastructure | 0.50 0-10 | 5.0 |
Physical Infrastructure | 0.00 0-10 | 0.0 |
Education (Readiness) | 0.62 0-1 | 38.1 |
Control of Corruption (Readiness) | 0.63 0-1 | 36.9 |
Political Stability (Readiness) | 0.67 0-1 | 32.5 |
Doing Business Score | 0.70 0-1 | 30.4 |
Rule of Law (Readiness) | 0.73 0-1 | 27.3 |
ICT Infrastructure | 0.75 0-1 | 25.4 |
Regulatory Quality (Readiness) | 0.75 0-1 | 24.6 |
Innovation (Readiness) | 1.00 0-1 | 0.0 |
These indicators have site-level resolution. Score your exact location.
Score a site in South Korea →But what about your location?
The country score is an average. Get the full risk breakdown for one address or point inside South Korea.
Where exactly?
Type an address, city, or landmark and we resolve it to a precise risk profile for that point.
Common questions
Answer-first, drawn from the same data above.
How risky is South Korea?
South Korea: low across the board; strong social keeps overall risk contained. Its overall risk score is 37 out of 100 (low), blended from World Bank, INFORM Risk Index and ND-GAIN Country Index.
What drives South Korea's risk?
South Korea's highest pressures are climate (58, medium) and nature (43). Its strongest area is social (15).
How might South Korea's climate change by 2080?
Under a high-emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5), about 62% of South Korea's land shifts toward a warmer climate zone by 2080, lifting its climate-hazard pressure index from 72 to 75 out of 100. This Koppen-based outlook is a separate, forward-looking measure from the historical ND-GAIN scores.
How much will South Korea warm by 2080?
Under a high-emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5), South Korea is on track to warm by +3.9 °C by 2080, with annual precipitation changing by +137 mm; under lower emissions (SSP2-4.5) the warming is about +2.8 °C. Based on CMIP6 multi-model projections against a 1970-2000 baseline.
How much will sea levels rise along South Korea's coast?
Coastal sea level along South Korea is projected to rise by +0.83 m by 2100 under a high-emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5), and by about +0.58 m under lower emissions (SSP2-4.5). Based on the regional median of IPCC AR6 projections.
How will water stress change in South Korea?
The share of South Korea under high water stress is projected to move from 20% today to 9.4% by 2080 under a high-emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5). Based on WRI Aqueduct projections.
How will river-flood exposure change in South Korea?
The share of South Korea exposed to river flooding is projected to move from 4.2% today to 4% by 2080 under a high-emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5). Based on WRI Aqueduct riverine-flood projections.
When was South Korea's risk data last updated?
Updated September 2026, drawing on World Bank, INFORM Risk Index and ND-GAIN Country Index.