France vs Switzerland: Carbon intensity of energy
France
105.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
Switzerland
120 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
France rank
196th
Switzerland rank
195th
Carbon intensity of energy over time
- France
- Switzerland
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 120 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour against 105.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in France, a difference of 14.36 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
That makes Switzerland's figure about 1.1 times France's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 60 shared years of data; in 1965 it was France ahead.
France ranks 196th and Switzerland ranks 195th of 204 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, France averaged higher in 3 and Switzerland in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 292.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 220.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 71.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | France |
| 1970s | 257.66 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 194.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 63.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | France |
| 1980s | 185.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 154.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 30.58 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | France |
| 1990s | 141.14 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 154.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 13.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Switzerland |
| 2000s | 129.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 147.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 18.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Switzerland |
| 2010s | 118.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 140.66 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 21.7 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Switzerland |
| 2020s | 116.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 131.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 15.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Switzerland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher carbon intensity of energy, France or Switzerland?
- Switzerland, at 120 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour against 105.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in France as of 2024.
- What is the difference in carbon intensity of energy between France and Switzerland?
- 14.36 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and Switzerland?
- 60 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2024.
- How do France and Switzerland rank globally for carbon intensity of energy?
- France ranks 196th and Switzerland ranks 195th 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.