Carbon intensity of energy in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Carbon intensity of energy was 172.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
172.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
159th
of 204 countries
All-time high
214.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1990
All-time low
127.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1999
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1980–2024
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 Democratic Republic of Congo is 172.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 214.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1990 and was at its lowest, 127.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 1999.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 159th of 204 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Carbon intensity of energy in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 197.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1981 | 206.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.8% |
| 1982 | 163.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -21.0% |
| 1983 | 211.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +29.3% |
| 1984 | 212.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 198.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.0% |
| 1986 | 172.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -12.8% |
| 1987 | 211.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +22.7% |
| 1988 | 190.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -10.2% |
| 1989 | 211.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +11.2% |
| 1990 | 214.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 171.86 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -20.0% |
| 1992 | 142.14 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -17.3% |
| 1993 | 135.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.7% |
| 1994 | 168.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +24.7% |
| 1995 | 181.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +7.3% |
| 1996 | 194.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +7.4% |
| 1997 | 180.05 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.5% |
| 1998 | 168.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.6% |
| 1999 | 127.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -24.2% |
| 2000 | 180.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +41.2% |
| 2001 | 183.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 181.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 200.78 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +10.9% |
| 2004 | 170.86 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -14.9% |
| 2005 | 169.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 157.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.2% |
| 2007 | 171.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.6% |
| 2008 | 186.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.8% |
| 2009 | 182.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 167.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 160.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 145.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -9.5% |
| 2013 | 157.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.6% |
| 2014 | 159.54 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 144.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -9.6% |
| 2016 | 136.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 140.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 150.03 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.6% |
| 2019 | 174.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +16.4% |
| 2020 | 157.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -10.0% |
| 2021 | 139.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -11.2% |
| 2022 | 183.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +31.4% |
| 2023 | 172.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.7% |
| 2024 | 172.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.0% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 172.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for low income countries, which is 234.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 74% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 172.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 227.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 76% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 197.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 163.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 212.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 168.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 127.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 214.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 178.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 157.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 200.78 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 153.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 136.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 174.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 165.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 139.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 183.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 156 United Kingdom 176.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 157 Belarus 174.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 158 Albania 173.66 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 160 Samoa 168.83 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 161 Bulgaria 166.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 162 Portugal 165.7 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2047 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8778 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.05 °C (2026)
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 4.2% (2100)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 3.25 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 4.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.4511 units per person (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate 28.16 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Democratic Republic of Congo was 172.92 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 214.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1990.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 127.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1999.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 159th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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 — 45 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.