Carbon intensity of energy in Belgium
Belgium: Carbon intensity of energy was 136.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
136.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
189th
of 204 countries
All-time high
264.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1966
All-time low
129.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2021
Years of data
60
1965–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in Belgium, 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 Belgium stood at 136.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Belgium peaked at 264.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1966 and was at its lowest, 129.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 2021.
That places Belgium 189th out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Carbon intensity of energy in Belgium, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 255.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1966 | 264.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.6% |
| 1967 | 257.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.7% |
| 1968 | 254.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.0% |
| 1969 | 241.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.0% |
| 1970 | 232.78 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.8% |
| 1971 | 229.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 232.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 243.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.7% |
| 1974 | 245.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 234.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.3% |
| 1976 | 235.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 228.45 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.9% |
| 1978 | 234.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.8% |
| 1979 | 235.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 237.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 228.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.6% |
| 1982 | 226.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 201.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -11.1% |
| 1984 | 199.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 188.95 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.3% |
| 1986 | 180.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.7% |
| 1987 | 175.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 166.87 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.7% |
| 1989 | 177.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.3% |
| 1990 | 192.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.7% |
| 1991 | 191.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 190.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 191.86 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 187.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 186.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 181.17 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 171.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.2% |
| 1998 | 176.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 170.05 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 169.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 170.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 171.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 167.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 166.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 164.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 161.45 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 155.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 152.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 148.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 147.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 145.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 148.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 145.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 148.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 155.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 139.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -9.9% |
| 2017 | 138.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 141.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 135.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 140.14 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 129.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.8% |
| 2022 | 129.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 134.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.7% |
| 2024 | 136.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.3% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 136.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for high income countries, which is 184.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 74% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 136.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 189.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 72% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 254.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 241.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 264.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 235.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 228.45 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 245.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 198.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 166.87 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 237.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 184.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 170.05 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 192.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 162.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 148.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 171.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 144.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 135.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 155.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 133.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 129.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 140.14 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 186 Fiji 142.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 187 Montserrat 141.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 188 Mozambique 141.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 190 Netherlands 131.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 191 New Zealand 125.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 192 Hong Kong 122.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Belgium
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 143.51 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 8,360 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 6,597 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.65 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 235.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,004 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 993.72 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 10.01 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3.75 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Belgium?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Belgium was 136.25 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 Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 264.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1966.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 129.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2021.
- How does Belgium rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Belgium ranks 189th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium 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.