Carbon intensity of energy in Ghana
Ghana: Carbon intensity of energy was 187.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
187.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
140th
of 204 countries
All-time high
325.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1983
All-time low
157.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1989
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in Ghana, 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 Ghana is 187.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Ghana peaked at 325.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1983 and was at its lowest, 157.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 1989.
That places Ghana 140th 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 45 years of available data.
Carbon intensity of energy in Ghana, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 165.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1981 | 213.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +28.7% |
| 1982 | 205.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.8% |
| 1983 | 325.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +58.4% |
| 1984 | 219.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -32.6% |
| 1985 | 280.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +28.2% |
| 1986 | 214.6 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -23.6% |
| 1987 | 204.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.9% |
| 1988 | 182.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -10.5% |
| 1989 | 157.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -14.1% |
| 1990 | 197.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +26.0% |
| 1991 | 216.87 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +9.6% |
| 1992 | 162.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -24.8% |
| 1993 | 190.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +16.8% |
| 1994 | 212.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +11.4% |
| 1995 | 210.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 213.05 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 250.19 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +17.4% |
| 1998 | 275.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +10.1% |
| 1999 | 238.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -13.6% |
| 2000 | 185.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -22.0% |
| 2001 | 208.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +12.4% |
| 2002 | 227.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +9.2% |
| 2003 | 242.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.5% |
| 2004 | 205.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -15.2% |
| 2005 | 191.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.7% |
| 2006 | 276.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +44.0% |
| 2007 | 279.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 240.33 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -14.1% |
| 2009 | 169.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -29.4% |
| 2010 | 213.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +25.8% |
| 2011 | 187.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -12.1% |
| 2012 | 224.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +19.5% |
| 2013 | 211.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 219.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 201.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.8% |
| 2016 | 188.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.5% |
| 2017 | 168.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -10.6% |
| 2018 | 206.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +22.3% |
| 2019 | 205.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 203.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 199.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 204.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 188.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.7% |
| 2024 | 187.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 187.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 224.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 83% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 187.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 227.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 82% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 216.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 157.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 325.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 216.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 162.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 275.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 222.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 169.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 279.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 202.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 168.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 224.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 196.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 187.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 204.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 137 Belize 188.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 138 Chile 188.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 139 Greece 188.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 141 Aruba 186.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 142 Thailand 186.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 143 Denmark 185.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Ghana
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 63.84 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 6,671 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,693 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,979 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 10.16 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 142.09 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,417 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 670.16 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 746.8 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.53 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Ghana?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Ghana was 187.11 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 325.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1983.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 157.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1989.
- How does Ghana rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Ghana ranks 140th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana 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.