Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Italy
Italy: Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity was 284.78 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
284.78 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
145th
of 213 countries
All-time high
564.25 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 1990
All-time low
281.4 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Italy, 1990–2025
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 Italy stood at 284.78 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and down 28.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Italy peaked at 564.25 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 1990 and was at its lowest, 281.4 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, in 2024.
That places Italy 145th out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Italy, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 564.25 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1991 | 533.76 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -5.4% |
| 1992 | 527.21 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 517.57 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 517.81 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 541.64 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +4.6% |
| 1996 | 525.38 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -3.0% |
| 1997 | 519.84 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 519.75 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 500.87 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 501.67 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 498.68 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 523.08 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +4.9% |
| 2003 | 523.25 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 510.98 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 510.17 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 506.76 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 504.75 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 485.51 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 458.58 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 446.45 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 445.59 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 438.17 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 398.96 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -8.9% |
| 2014 | 379.31 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 398.68 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +5.1% |
| 2016 | 389.58 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 392.82 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 366.88 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -6.6% |
| 2019 | 351.32 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -4.2% |
| 2020 | 334.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 339.1 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 377.84 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +11.4% |
| 2023 | 323.23 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -14.5% |
| 2024 | 281.4 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -12.9% |
| 2025 | 284.78 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +1.2% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 284.78 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, 68% of the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Italy's 284.78 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 250.47 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, 1.1× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 526.81 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 500.87 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 564.25 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 502.34 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 458.58 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 523.25 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 400.78 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 351.32 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 446.45 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 323.43 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 281.4 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 377.84 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 6 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 142 Guatemala 301.46 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 143 Nicaragua 300.89 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 144 Chile 289.49 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 146 Fiji 278.26 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 147 Bulgaria 275.55 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 148 Montenegro 264.23 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Italy
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 791.33 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 23,645 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 5,171 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 18,474 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 19.51 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 659.79 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 9,097 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 5,740 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,357 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 21.66 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Italy?
- Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Italy was 284.78 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 564.25 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 1990.
- What is the lowest lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 281.4 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2024.
- How does Italy rank for lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity?
- Italy ranks 145th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy 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 — 36 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.