Carbon intensity of energy in Australia
Australia: Carbon intensity of energy was 250.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
250.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
45th
of 204 countries
All-time high
279.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2005
All-time low
235.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1976
Years of data
60
1965–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in Australia, 1965–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
Analysis
In 2024, carbon intensity of energy in Australia stood at 250.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Australia peaked at 279.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2005 and was at its lowest, 235.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 1976.
Australia ranks 45th of 204 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Carbon intensity of energy in Australia, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 276.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1966 | 268.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.1% |
| 1967 | 266.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 264.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 1969 | 269.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 268.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 262.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.4% |
| 1972 | 254.54 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.9% |
| 1973 | 263.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.6% |
| 1974 | 242.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -8.0% |
| 1975 | 249.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 235.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.5% |
| 1977 | 239.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 244.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 236.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.2% |
| 1980 | 249.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.7% |
| 1981 | 257.42 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 264.29 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 253.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.9% |
| 1984 | 257.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 258.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 253.19 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.0% |
| 1987 | 257.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 252.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 256.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 272.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.1% |
| 1991 | 275.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 276.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 274.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 268.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 271.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 269.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 270.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 274.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 271.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 274.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 278.7 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 276.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 279.14 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 278.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 279.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 272.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 270.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 268.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 275.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 274.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 267.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 272.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 265.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 258.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 259.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 265.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 268.09 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 267.69 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 260.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 268.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 264.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 251.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 254.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 250.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.4% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 250.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is above the median for high income countries, which is 184.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 1.4× the median. (69 countries reporting)
- Australia's 250.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 214.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 1.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 269.29 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 264.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 276.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 249.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 235.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 268.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 256.09 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 249.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 264.29 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 272.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 268.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 276.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 275.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 268.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 279.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 265.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 258.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 274.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 257.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 250.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 268.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 42 Papua New Guinea 254.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 43 Algeria 253.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 44 Tanzania 252.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 46 Cambodia 249.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 47 Kuwait 248.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 48 North Macedonia 247.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Australia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 1.30 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 118,578 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 34,162 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 84,416 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 128.91 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3,015 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 12,473 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 10,966 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,507 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 41.38 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Australia?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Australia was 250.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 279.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2005.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 235.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1976.
- How does Australia rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Australia ranks 45th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Carbon intensity of energy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Fossil carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per unit of total energy supply, measured in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.