Carbon intensity of energy in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Carbon intensity of energy was 177.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
177.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
up 6.1%
World rank
154th
of 204 countries
All-time high
242.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1994
All-time low
163.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2019
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in Costa Rica, 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 Costa Rica is 177.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 6.1% on the previous year and down 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Costa Rica peaked at 242.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1994 and was at its lowest, 163.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 2019.
Costa Rica ranks 154th 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 Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 205.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1981 | 185.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -9.7% |
| 1982 | 181.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 172.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.8% |
| 1984 | 178.17 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 189.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.2% |
| 1986 | 230.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +21.7% |
| 1987 | 212.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.7% |
| 1988 | 202.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.7% |
| 1989 | 189.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.5% |
| 1990 | 194.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 207.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.6% |
| 1992 | 193.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.9% |
| 1993 | 184.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 242.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +31.1% |
| 1995 | 210.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -12.9% |
| 1996 | 209.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 203 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 200.29 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 185.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.1% |
| 2000 | 184.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 190.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 201.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 203.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 210.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 194.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.8% |
| 2006 | 192.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 203.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 204.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 205.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 195.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 188.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 184.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 190.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 188.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 178.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.3% |
| 2016 | 179.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 177.82 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 170.19 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 163.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 165.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 168.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 171.05 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 167.15 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.3% |
| 2024 | 177.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 177.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for high income countries, which is 184.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 96% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 177.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 213.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 83% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 194.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 172.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 230.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 203.28 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 184.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 242.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 199.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 184.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 210.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 181.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 163.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 195.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 169.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 165.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 177.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 151 Slovenia 179.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 152 Colombia 179.54 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 153 Cote d'Ivoire 177.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 155 Palestine 176.78 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 156 United Kingdom 176.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 157 Belarus 174.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Costa Rica
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 108.28 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,751 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 942.79 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,808 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 688.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 623.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 65.45 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.35 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Costa Rica?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Costa Rica was 177.38 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 242.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1994.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 163.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2019.
- How does Costa Rica rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Costa Rica ranks 154th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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.