Carbon intensity of electricity — all countries

Carbon intensity of electricity — World

Carbon intensity of electricity in the world in 2024 — 472 g/kWh. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 10.4%.

2024 472 g/kWh −2.43% vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 555 g/kWh2007
Period minimum 472 g/kWh2024

Trend over time

2000–2024 · grams CO₂ per kWh

Carbon intensity of electricity — World, 2000–20244504755005255505752000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 527 g/kWh2001: 529 g/kWh2002: 532 g/kWh2003: 545 g/kWh2004: 540 g/kWh2005: 544 g/kWh2006: 547 g/kWh2007: 555 g/kWh2008: 548 g/kWh2009: 544 g/kWh2010: 544 g/kWh2011: 550 g/kWh2012: 548 g/kWh2013: 549 g/kWh2014: 545 g/kWh2015: 534 g/kWh2016: 526 g/kWh2017: 522 g/kWh2018: 519 g/kWh2019: 506 g/kWh2020: 492 g/kWh2021: 495 g/kWh2022: 490 g/kWh2023: 484 g/kWh2024: 472 g/kWh
Change over the period: −55 (−10.45%) Average annual rate: -0.46 %

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: World

World 472 g/kWh
World computed 472 g/kWh
Carbon intensity of electricity — World, by year World All countries CSV XLSX
Year g/kWh Change Change, %
2024 472 −12 −2.43%
2023 484 −6 −1.14%
2022 490 −5 −1.1%
2021 495 +3 +0.57%
2020 492 −14 −2.71%
2019 506 −13 −2.47%
2018 519 −3 −0.66%
2017 522 −3 −0.63%
2016 526 −8 −1.51%
2015 534 −11 −2.08%
2014 545 −4 −0.67%
2013 549 +0 +0.05%
2012 548 −2 −0.37%
2011 550 +6 +1.16%
2010 544 +0 +0.08%
2009 544 −4 −0.76%
2008 548 −7 −1.25%
2007 555 +8 +1.5%
2006 547 +3 +0.55%
2005 544 +4 +0.73%
2004 540 −5 −0.94%
2003 545 +12 +2.31%
2002 532 +3 +0.58%
2001 529 +2 +0.37%
2000 527

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.