Carbon intensity of energy in Iraq
Iraq: Carbon intensity of energy was 347.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
347.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
up 3.0%
World rank
10th
of 204 countries
All-time high
1,099 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1966
All-time low
185.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1997
Years of data
60
1965–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in Iraq, 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 Iraq is 347.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 20.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Iraq peaked at 1,099 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1966 and was at its lowest, 185.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 1997.
That places Iraq 10th out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Carbon intensity of energy in Iraq, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 843.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1966 | 1,099 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +30.2% |
| 1967 | 722.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -34.2% |
| 1968 | 730.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 724.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 615.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -15.1% |
| 1971 | 678.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +10.3% |
| 1972 | 592.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -12.7% |
| 1973 | 627.39 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.9% |
| 1974 | 649.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.6% |
| 1975 | 637.7 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 743.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +16.6% |
| 1977 | 637.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -14.2% |
| 1978 | 583.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -8.5% |
| 1979 | 585.6 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 454.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -22.3% |
| 1981 | 342.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -24.7% |
| 1982 | 315.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -8.0% |
| 1983 | 346.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +10.0% |
| 1984 | 323.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.5% |
| 1985 | 313.48 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.2% |
| 1986 | 290.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.3% |
| 1987 | 277.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.3% |
| 1988 | 307.28 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +10.6% |
| 1989 | 290.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.3% |
| 1990 | 217.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -25.3% |
| 1991 | 312.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +43.6% |
| 1992 | 259.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -17.0% |
| 1993 | 207.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -19.7% |
| 1994 | 221.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.5% |
| 1995 | 232.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.2% |
| 1996 | 217.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.7% |
| 1997 | 185.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -14.4% |
| 1998 | 265 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +42.5% |
| 1999 | 370.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +39.9% |
| 2000 | 264.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -28.6% |
| 2001 | 274.05 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 290.87 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 343.83 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +18.2% |
| 2004 | 358.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 382.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.5% |
| 2006 | 340.33 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -10.9% |
| 2007 | 208.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -38.6% |
| 2008 | 276.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +32.6% |
| 2009 | 314.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +13.6% |
| 2010 | 287.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -8.6% |
| 2011 | 291.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 299 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 290.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 288.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 298.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 297.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 282.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.2% |
| 2018 | 300.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.3% |
| 2019 | 285.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 321.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +12.7% |
| 2021 | 333.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 349.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.8% |
| 2023 | 337.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.5% |
| 2024 | 347.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.0% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 347.57 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, 1.6× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 347.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 215.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 1.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 824.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 722.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 1,099 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 635.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 583.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 743.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 326.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 277.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 454.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 248.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 185.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 370.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 305.48 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 208.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 382.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 292.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 282.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 300.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 338.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 321.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 349.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 7 Nepal 356.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 8 Comoros 349.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 9 Gambia 348.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 11 Kazakhstan 334.54 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 12 North Korea 323.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 13 Gabon 314.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Iraq
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 672.48 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 10,634 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,750 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 6,884 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14.15 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 245.84 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,859 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 4,294 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,565 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 16.21 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Iraq?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Iraq was 347.57 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 1,099 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1966.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 185.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1997.
- How does Iraq rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Iraq ranks 10th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iraq 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.