Contact Contacts
Carbon intensity of electricity — all countries

Carbon intensity of electricity — High-income countries

Carbon intensity of electricity in high-income countries in 2024 — 369 g/kWh. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 25.9%.

2024 369 g/kWh −2.5% vs 2023
World rank —
Period maximum 508 g/kWh2003
Period minimum 369 g/kWh2024

Trend over time

2000–2024 · grams CO₂ per kWh

Carbon intensity of electricity — High-income countries, 2000–20243504004505005502000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 498 g/kWh2001: 497 g/kWh2002: 498 g/kWh2003: 508 g/kWh2004: 499 g/kWh2005: 499 g/kWh2006: 496 g/kWh2007: 501 g/kWh2008: 495 g/kWh2009: 479 g/kWh2010: 479 g/kWh2011: 478 g/kWh2012: 480 g/kWh2013: 475 g/kWh2014: 469 g/kWh2015: 457 g/kWh2016: 446 g/kWh2017: 441 g/kWh2018: 433 g/kWh2019: 414 g/kWh2020: 393 g/kWh2021: 400 g/kWh2022: 399 g/kWh2023: 379 g/kWh2024: 369 g/kWh
Change over the period: −129 (−25.86%) Average annual rate: -1.24 %

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: High-income countries

High-income countries 369 g/kWh
World computed 472 g/kWh
Carbon intensity of electricity — High-income countries, by year High-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year g/kWh Change Change, %
2024 369 −9 −2.5%
2023 379 −20 −4.98%
2022 399 −1 −0.28%
2021 400 +6 +1.61%
2020 393 −21 −5.04%
2019 414 −18 −4.22%
2018 433 −8 −1.9%
2017 441 −5 −1.14%
2016 446 −11 −2.47%
2015 457 −11 −2.39%
2014 469 −6 −1.33%
2013 475 −5 −1.07%
2012 480 +2 +0.33%
2011 478 −1 −0.22%
2010 479 +0 +0.1%
2009 479 −16 −3.24%
2008 495 −6 −1.24%
2007 501 +5 +0.98%
2006 496 −3 −0.61%
2005 499 +0 +0.09%
2004 499 −9 −1.7%
2003 508 +10 +1.99%
2002 498 +1 +0.11%
2001 497 −1 −0.21%
2000 498 — —

About the indicator

Carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector per kilowatt-hour of generation. A single number into which the whole structure of generation folds: a coal plant gives about 820 grams per kilowatt-hour, a gas plant roughly 490, and nuclear, wind and solar single digits. The indicator therefore reads as a summary verdict on a power system and is especially useful for comparing countries with different generation mixes: one may have a lot of hydro and another nuclear, yet the result comes out close.

Important: Emissions from generating electricity are counted, without emissions from building the plants and extracting the fuel. Aggregates are weighted by generation and computed from 2000 onward.

Source: Yearly Electricity Data (Ember), license CC BY 4.0.

Other indicators for high-income countries

Emissions Power sector CO2 emissions

How much carbon dioxide the electricity sector of a country emits in a year.

High-income countries by year Electricity Fossil fuel share of electricity

What share of its electricity a country gets from coal, gas and oil together.

High-income countries by year Electricity Clean electricity share

What share of its electricity a country gets from sources without emissions — renewables and nuclear.

High-income countries by year
All indicators for high-income countries