Carbon intensity of energy in Germany
Germany: Carbon intensity of energy was 204.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Carbon intensity of energy in Germany, 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 Germany is 204.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Germany peaked at 326.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1965 and was at its lowest, 201.82 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 2020.
That places Germany 109th out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 318.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 309.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 326.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 272.28 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 256.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 286.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 248.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 237.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 261.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 238.28 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 227.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 251.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 223.09 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 218.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 227.42 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 218.17 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 203.69 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 224.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 206.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 201.82 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 212.48 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 107 Central African Republic 207.6 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 108 Sierra Leone 205.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 110 Russia 204.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 111 Venezuela 203.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 112 Saint Lucia 202.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Germany
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.7% (2100)
- Population growth -0.0% (2025)
- Population, total 83.49 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.1% (2025)
- Urban population 68.58 million (2025)
- Urban population 82.1% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 6.77 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 95.14 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 6.77 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 6.77 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Germany?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Germany was 204.73 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 326.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1965.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 201.82 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2020.
- How does Germany rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Germany ranks 109th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany 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.