Carbon intensity of energy in China
China: Carbon intensity of energy was 278.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
278.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
23rd
of 204 countries
All-time high
349.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1970
All-time low
278.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
Years of data
60
1965–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in China, 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
The most recent figure for carbon intensity of energy in China is 278.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 60 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 8.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in China peaked at 349.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1970 and was at its lowest, 278.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 2024.
China ranks 23rd of 204 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Carbon intensity of energy in China, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 335.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1966 | 338.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 314.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.0% |
| 1968 | 336.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +7.0% |
| 1969 | 337.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 349.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 331.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.0% |
| 1972 | 327.87 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 1973 | 323.7 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 320.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.9% |
| 1975 | 329.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.6% |
| 1976 | 323.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 324.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 328.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 326.17 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 317.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.8% |
| 1981 | 318.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 332.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.4% |
| 1983 | 330.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 334.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 334.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 336.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 334.09 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 334.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 323.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 322.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 323.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 320.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 318.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 318.17 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 335.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.5% |
| 1996 | 331.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 331.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 316.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.6% |
| 1999 | 322.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 320.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 312.03 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 314.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 316.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 291.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.7% |
| 2005 | 289.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 291.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 288.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 301.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.4% |
| 2009 | 302.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 310.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 317.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 315.58 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 310.28 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 305.87 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 299.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 296.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 293.69 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 290.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 292.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 289.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 284.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 290.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 284.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 278.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 278.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 219.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 1.3× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- China's 278.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 214.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 1.3× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 332.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 314.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 338.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 328.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 320.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 349.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 329.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 317.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 336.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 324.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 316.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 335.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 302.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 288.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 320.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 303.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 290.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 317.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 285.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 278.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 290.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 20 Cuba 290.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 21 Laos 288.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 22 Senegal 282.09 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 24 Madagascar 275.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 25 Sudan 275.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 26 Cameroon 274.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for China
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 31.25 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 604,831 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 191,478 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 413,353 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 722.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 342,069 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 200,605 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 141,464 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 757 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in China?
- Carbon intensity of energy in China was 278.62 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 349.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1970.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 278.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024.
- How does China rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- China ranks 23rd out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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.