Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity was 24.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
24.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
down 4.9%
World rank
209th
of 213 countries
All-time high
103.04 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 2013
All-time low
24.12 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 2022
Years of data
26
2000–2025
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Costa Rica, 2000–2025
Source: Ember (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour.
Analysis
In 2025, lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Costa Rica stood at 24.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour.
That represents a change of down 4.9% on the previous year and down 27.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Costa Rica peaked at 103.04 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2013 and was at its lowest, 24.12 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, in 2022.
Costa Rica ranks 209th of 213 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 30.61 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 2001 | 34.78 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +13.6% |
| 2002 | 36.39 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 39.73 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +9.2% |
| 2004 | 31.33 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -21.1% |
| 2005 | 47.62 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +52.0% |
| 2006 | 67.29 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +41.3% |
| 2007 | 77.95 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +15.8% |
| 2008 | 72.34 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -7.2% |
| 2009 | 58.44 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -19.2% |
| 2010 | 69.4 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +18.8% |
| 2011 | 84.1 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +21.2% |
| 2012 | 80.12 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -4.7% |
| 2013 | 103.04 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +28.6% |
| 2014 | 93.41 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -9.3% |
| 2015 | 33.43 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -64.2% |
| 2016 | 38.67 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +15.7% |
| 2017 | 28.37 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -26.6% |
| 2018 | 34.97 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +23.3% |
| 2019 | 31.52 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -9.9% |
| 2020 | 27.3 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -13.4% |
| 2021 | 25.92 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -5.1% |
| 2022 | 24.12 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -6.9% |
| 2023 | 24.74 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 25.46 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +2.9% |
| 2025 | 24.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -4.9% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 24.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour is below the median for high income countries, which is 417.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, 6% of the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 24.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 534.88 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, 5% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 49.65 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 30.61 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 77.95 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.7 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 28.37 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 103.04 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.29 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 24.12 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 27.3 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 6 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 206 Albania 25.18 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 207 Paraguay 24.7 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 208 Nepal 24.26 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 210 Bhutan 23.64 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 211 Ethiopia 23.08 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 212 Lesotho 20.83 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Costa Rica
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 108.28 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,751 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 942.79 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,808 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 688.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 623.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 65.45 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.35 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Costa Rica?
- Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Costa Rica was 24.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2025, according to Ember (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 103.04 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2013.
- What is the lowest lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.12 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2022.
- How does Costa Rica rank for lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity?
- Costa Rica ranks 209th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Greenhouse gases emitted per unit of generated electricity, measured in grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour.