Carbon intensity of energy in Canada
Canada: Carbon intensity of energy was 161.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
161.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
down 2.7%
World rank
167th
of 204 countries
All-time high
221.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1972
All-time low
161.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
Years of data
60
1965–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in Canada, 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
Canada recorded 161.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour for carbon intensity of energy in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 60 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.7% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Canada peaked at 221.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1972 and was at its lowest, 161.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 2024.
That places Canada 167th 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 Canada, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 217.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1966 | 211.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.6% |
| 1967 | 219.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.5% |
| 1968 | 219.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 211.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.7% |
| 1970 | 218.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 218.83 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 221.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 203.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -8.1% |
| 1974 | 203.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 209.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 201.09 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.0% |
| 1977 | 193.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.9% |
| 1978 | 195.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 201.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 198.82 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 196.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 195.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 195.48 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 191.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.8% |
| 1985 | 185.42 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 176.7 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.7% |
| 1987 | 181.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 181.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 179.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 187.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 184.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 185.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 180.82 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 178.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 178.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 181.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 184.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 188.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 188.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 191.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 189.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 185.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 188.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 182.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 181.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 180.03 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 180.45 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 178.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 175.83 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 175.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 172.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 172.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 169.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 167.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 167.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 166.45 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 168.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 167.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 168.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 164.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 166.58 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 165.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 166.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 161.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.7% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 161.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for high income countries, which is 184.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 87% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 216.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 211.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 219.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 206.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 193.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 221.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 188.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 176.7 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 198.82 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 183.95 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 178.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 188.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 183.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 175.83 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 191.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 169.69 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 166.45 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 175.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 164.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 161.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 166.58 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 164 Georgia 164.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 165 Yemen 164.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 166 Slovakia 163.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 168 French Polynesia 161.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 169 Djibouti 160.78 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 170 Nauru 160.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Canada
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 2.27 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 44,359 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 9,631 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,728 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 36.34 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,240 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 17,229 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 16,823 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 406.39 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 63.48 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Canada?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Canada was 161.62 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 221.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1972.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 161.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024.
- How does Canada rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Canada ranks 167th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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.