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Carbon intensity of electricity — all countries

Carbon intensity of electricity — OECD

Carbon intensity of electricity in the OECD in 2025 — 336 g/kWh. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 31.6%.

2025 336 g/kWh −0.35% vs 2024
World rank —
Period maximum 500 g/kWh2003
Period minimum 336 g/kWh2025

Trend over time

2000–2025 · grams CO₂ per kWh

Carbon intensity of electricity — OECD, 2000–20253003504004505005502000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 491 g/kWh2001: 492 g/kWh2002: 490 g/kWh2003: 500 g/kWh2004: 491 g/kWh2005: 492 g/kWh2006: 487 g/kWh2007: 493 g/kWh2008: 485 g/kWh2009: 469 g/kWh2010: 468 g/kWh2011: 465 g/kWh2012: 467 g/kWh2013: 462 g/kWh2014: 455 g/kWh2015: 441 g/kWh2016: 428 g/kWh2017: 421 g/kWh2018: 412 g/kWh2019: 390 g/kWh2020: 367 g/kWh2021: 373 g/kWh2022: 371 g/kWh2023: 349 g/kWh2024: 338 g/kWh2025: 336 g/kWh
Change over the period: −155 (−31.55%) Average annual rate: -1.51 %
Carbon intensity of electricity — OECD, by year OECD All countries CSV XLSX
Year g/kWh Change Change, %
2025 336 −1 −0.35%
2024 338 −12 −3.3%
2023 349 −22 −5.96%
2022 371 −2 −0.46%
2021 373 +6 +1.51%
2020 367 −23 −5.89%
2019 390 −22 −5.34%
2018 412 −8 −1.96%
2017 421 −7 −1.75%
2016 428 −12 −2.84%
2015 441 −14 −3.11%
2014 455 −7 −1.53%
2013 462 −5 −0.99%
2012 467 +2 +0.33%
2011 465 −3 −0.59%
2010 468 −1 −0.26%
2009 469 −16 −3.2%
2008 485 −9 −1.77%
2007 493 +7 +1.35%
2006 487 −5 −1%
2005 492 +1 +0.13%
2004 491 −9 −1.86%
2003 500 +10 +1.99%
2002 490 −1 −0.21%
2001 492 +0 +0.02%
2000 491 — —

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.

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

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

OECD by year Electricity Clean electricity share

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

OECD by year Emissions Carbon intensity of the economy

How many kilograms of CO2 fall on each dollar of output produced.

OECD by year
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