Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Spain
Spain: Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity was 153.6 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
153.6 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
up 5.0%
World rank
172nd
of 213 countries
All-time high
483.3 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 1999
All-time low
146.22 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Spain, 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 Spain stood at 153.6 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.0% on the previous year and down 53.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Spain peaked at 483.3 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 1999 and was at its lowest, 146.22 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, in 2024.
Spain ranks 172nd of 213 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Spain, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 437.22 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1991 | 427.38 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 472.58 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +10.6% |
| 1993 | 443.91 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -6.1% |
| 1994 | 433.92 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.3% |
| 1995 | 465.68 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +7.3% |
| 1996 | 385.66 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -17.2% |
| 1997 | 430.76 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +11.7% |
| 1998 | 423.65 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 483.3 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +14.1% |
| 2000 | 470.89 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 422.49 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -10.3% |
| 2002 | 481.89 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +14.1% |
| 2003 | 429.23 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -10.9% |
| 2004 | 449.12 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 475.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +5.8% |
| 2006 | 432.76 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -8.9% |
| 2007 | 438.85 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 390.23 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -11.1% |
| 2009 | 355.02 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -9.0% |
| 2010 | 288.25 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -18.8% |
| 2011 | 337.28 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +17.0% |
| 2012 | 351.11 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 286.86 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -18.3% |
| 2014 | 288.99 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 328.5 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +13.7% |
| 2016 | 282.93 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -13.9% |
| 2017 | 329.17 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +16.3% |
| 2018 | 290.86 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -11.6% |
| 2019 | 246.67 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -15.2% |
| 2020 | 199.1 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -19.3% |
| 2021 | 193.54 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 217.13 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +12.2% |
| 2023 | 169.68 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -21.9% |
| 2024 | 146.22 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -13.8% |
| 2025 | 153.6 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +5.0% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 153.6 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, 37% of the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Spain's 153.6 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 250.47 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, 61% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 440.41 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 385.66 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 483.3 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 434.55 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 355.02 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 481.89 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 303.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 246.67 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 351.11 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 179.88 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 146.22 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 217.13 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 6 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 169 Ecuador 159.02 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 170 Croatia 158.5 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 171 Sudan 153.69 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 173 Kyrgyzstan 152.73 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 174 Greenland 150 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 175 Belgium 149.82 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Spain
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 944.68 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 31,851 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 7,475 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 24,376 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 28.21 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 870.55 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 8,160 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 6,530 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,630 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 24.64 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Spain?
- Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Spain was 153.6 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 483.3 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 1999.
- What is the lowest lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 146.22 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2024.
- How does Spain rank for lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity?
- Spain ranks 172nd out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 53.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Spain 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.