Costa Rica vs United Kingdom: Carbon intensity of energy
Costa Rica
177.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
United Kingdom
176.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
154th
United Kingdom rank
156th
Carbon intensity of energy over time
- Costa Rica
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 177.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour against 176.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 154th and United Kingdom ranks 156th of 204 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 194.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 235.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 40.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 203.28 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 223.87 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 20.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 199.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 211.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 12.87 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 181.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 192.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 169.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 175.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher carbon intensity of energy, Costa Rica or United Kingdom?
- Costa Rica, at 177.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour against 176.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in United Kingdom as of 2024.
- What is the difference in carbon intensity of energy between Costa Rica and United Kingdom?
- 0.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and United Kingdom?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do Costa Rica and United Kingdom rank globally for carbon intensity of energy?
- Costa Rica ranks 154th and United Kingdom ranks 156th of 204 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Carbon intensity of energy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Fossil carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per unit of total energy supply, measured in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.