Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in New Zealand
New Zealand: Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity was 92.76 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
92.76 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
down 17.2%
World rank
191st
of 213 countries
All-time high
254.24 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 2005
All-time low
87.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 2023
Years of data
26
2000–2025
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in New Zealand, 2000–2025
Source: Ember (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in New Zealand is 92.76 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.2% on the previous year and down 35.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in New Zealand peaked at 254.24 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2005 and was at its lowest, 87.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, in 2023.
New Zealand ranks 191st of 213 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 184.27 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 2001 | 230.4 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +25.0% |
| 2002 | 197.71 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -14.2% |
| 2003 | 231.11 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +16.9% |
| 2004 | 204.16 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -11.7% |
| 2005 | 254.24 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +24.5% |
| 2006 | 248.84 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 227.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -8.8% |
| 2008 | 246.83 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +8.7% |
| 2009 | 196.51 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -20.4% |
| 2010 | 179.42 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -8.7% |
| 2011 | 165.98 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -7.5% |
| 2012 | 198.17 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +19.4% |
| 2013 | 177.05 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -10.7% |
| 2014 | 148.42 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -16.2% |
| 2015 | 142.76 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 114.48 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -19.8% |
| 2017 | 131.93 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +15.2% |
| 2018 | 123.71 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -6.2% |
| 2019 | 133.71 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +8.1% |
| 2020 | 142.1 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +6.3% |
| 2021 | 144.89 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 103.12 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -28.8% |
| 2023 | 87.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -15.4% |
| 2024 | 112.02 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +28.5% |
| 2025 | 92.76 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -17.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 92.76 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, 22% of the median. (75 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 92.76 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 519.46 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, 18% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 222.11 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 184.27 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 254.24 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 151.56 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 114.48 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 198.17 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 113.68 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 87.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 144.89 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 188 Brazil 109.95 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 189 Kenya 95.44 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 190 Slovakia 94.85 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 192 Venezuela 85.86 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 193 Uruguay 80.4 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 194 Tajikistan 72.56 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for New Zealand
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 113.13 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 46,323 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,983 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,340 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 45.22 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,226 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 694.4 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 691.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.61 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in New Zealand?
- Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in New Zealand was 92.76 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 254.24 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2005.
- What is the lowest lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 87.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2023.
- How does New Zealand rank for lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity?
- New Zealand ranks 191st out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.