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Carbon intensity of electricity — all countries

Carbon intensity of electricity — Sub-Saharan Africa

Carbon intensity of electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024 — 492 g/kWh. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 22.4%.

2024 492 g/kWh +0.23% vs 2023
World rank —
Period maximum 636 g/kWh2003
Period minimum 491 g/kWh2023

Trend over time

2000–2024 · grams CO₂ per kWh

Carbon intensity of electricity — Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–20244505005506006502000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 633 g/kWh2001: 630 g/kWh2002: 624 g/kWh2003: 636 g/kWh2004: 632 g/kWh2005: 633 g/kWh2006: 633 g/kWh2007: 633 g/kWh2008: 627 g/kWh2009: 616 g/kWh2010: 608 g/kWh2011: 606 g/kWh2012: 599 g/kWh2013: 591 g/kWh2014: 578 g/kWh2015: 577 g/kWh2016: 573 g/kWh2017: 561 g/kWh2018: 556 g/kWh2019: 542 g/kWh2020: 530 g/kWh2021: 514 g/kWh2022: 497 g/kWh2023: 491 g/kWh2024: 492 g/kWh
Change over the period: −142 (−22.37%) Average annual rate: -1.05 %

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa 492 g/kWh
World computed 472 g/kWh
Carbon intensity of electricity — Sub-Saharan Africa, by year Sub-Saharan Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year g/kWh Change Change, %
2024 492 +1 +0.23%
2023 491 −6 −1.24%
2022 497 −17 −3.39%
2021 514 −16 −3.04%
2020 530 −12 −2.15%
2019 542 −14 −2.45%
2018 556 −5 −0.9%
2017 561 −12 −2.09%
2016 573 −4 −0.75%
2015 577 −1 −0.23%
2014 578 −12 −2.1%
2013 591 −8 −1.39%
2012 599 −7 −1.12%
2011 606 −2 −0.39%
2010 608 −8 −1.3%
2009 616 −11 −1.69%
2008 627 −6 −1.02%
2007 633 +0 +0.03%
2006 633 +0 +0.07%
2005 633 +0 +0.03%
2004 632 −3 −0.54%
2003 636 +11 +1.84%
2002 624 −5 −0.83%
2001 630 −4 −0.59%
2000 633 — —

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 Sub-Saharan Africa

Emissions Power sector CO2 emissions

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

Sub-Saharan Africa by year Electricity Fossil fuel share of electricity

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

Sub-Saharan Africa by year Electricity Clean electricity share

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

Sub-Saharan Africa by year Emissions Carbon intensity of the economy

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

Sub-Saharan Africa by year
All indicators for Sub-Saharan Africa