Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Switzerland
Switzerland: Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity was 39.22 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
39.22 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
up 13.4%
World rank
201st
of 213 countries
All-time high
39.73 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 2017
All-time low
33.36 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 2001
Years of data
26
2000–2025
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Switzerland, 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 Switzerland stood at 39.22 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour.
The figure is up 13.4% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Switzerland peaked at 39.73 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2017 and was at its lowest, 33.36 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, in 2001.
Switzerland ranks 201st of 213 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 33.58 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 2001 | 33.36 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 34.25 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 34.44 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 35.23 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 38.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +8.0% |
| 2006 | 36.21 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 34.47 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 34.16 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 34.05 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 35.88 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +5.4% |
| 2011 | 36.26 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 36.25 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 35.52 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 34.39 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 35.57 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 39.44 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +10.9% |
| 2017 | 39.73 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 36.05 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -9.3% |
| 2019 | 35.28 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 36.64 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 38.52 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +5.1% |
| 2022 | 37.27 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 34.82 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -6.6% |
| 2024 | 34.58 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 39.22 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +13.4% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 39.22 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, 9% of the median. (75 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 39.22 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, 16% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.78 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 33.36 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 38.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.44 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 34.39 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 39.73 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.84 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 34.58 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 39.22 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
- 198 Namibia 48.78 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 199 Sierra Leone 47.62 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 200 France 41.44 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 202 Sweden 35.26 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 203 Norway 28.11 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 204 Iceland 27.82 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Switzerland
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 72.47 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 6,008 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,192 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 4,816 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 4.5 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 171.99 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 476.97 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 472.94 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 4.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 1.78 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Switzerland?
- Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in Switzerland was 39.22 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 39.73 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2017.
- What is the lowest lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.36 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2001.
- How does Switzerland rank for lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity?
- Switzerland ranks 201st out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.