Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity was 217.41 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
217.41 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
159th
of 213 countries
All-time high
705.02 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 1990
All-time low
216.5 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom stood at 217.41 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 45.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in United Kingdom peaked at 705.02 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 1990 and was at its lowest, 216.5 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour, in 2024.
That places United Kingdom 159th 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 705.02 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1991 | 700.14 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 665.12 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -5.0% |
| 1993 | 608.21 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -8.6% |
| 1994 | 588.96 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 579.46 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 556.53 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -4.0% |
| 1997 | 511.99 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -8.0% |
| 1998 | 509.58 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 492.33 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 521.99 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +6.0% |
| 2001 | 528.99 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 520.89 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 536.78 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 536.02 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 535.26 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 559.34 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 556.06 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 554.38 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 504.65 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -9.0% |
| 2010 | 517.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 499.63 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 537.23 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +7.5% |
| 2013 | 506.92 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -5.6% |
| 2014 | 462.88 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -8.7% |
| 2015 | 397.79 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -14.1% |
| 2016 | 333.45 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -16.2% |
| 2017 | 302.2 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 285.65 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 268.41 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 242.54 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -9.6% |
| 2021 | 267.1 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +10.1% |
| 2022 | 254.98 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -4.5% |
| 2023 | 235.63 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -7.6% |
| 2024 | 216.5 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | -8.1% |
| 2025 | 217.41 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 217.41 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, 52% of the median. (75 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 217.41 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, 87% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 591.73 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 492.33 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 705.02 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 535.44 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 504.65 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 559.34 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 411.14 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 268.41 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 537.23 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 239.03 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 216.5 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 267.1 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 156 Laos 232.08 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 157 Cameroon 225.9 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 158 Panama 221.15 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 160 Armenia 211.93 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 161 Canada 190.72 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
- 162 Colombia 186.81 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for United Kingdom
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 37,706 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 8,697 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 29,008 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 32.82 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,036 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 7,083 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 7,027 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 55.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 26.52 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in United Kingdom?
- Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity in United Kingdom was 217.41 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 705.02 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 1990.
- What is the lowest lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 216.5 grams of CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour in 2024.
- How does United Kingdom rank for lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity?
- United Kingdom ranks 159th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.
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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.