Carbon intensity of energy in Ireland
Ireland: Carbon intensity of energy was 208.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Carbon intensity of energy in Ireland, 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 Ireland is 208.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Ireland peaked at 288.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1971 and was at its lowest, 188.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 1968.
That places Ireland 106th out of 204 regions 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 | 199.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 188.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 208.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 267.33 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 254.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 288.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 272.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 265.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 281.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 274.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 261.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 283.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 254.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 245.7 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 263.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 234.58 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 219.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 240.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 219.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 208.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 230.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 103 Turkmenistan 210.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 104 Mexico 210.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 105 Japan 208.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 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
- 109 Germany 204.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Ireland
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.1% (2100)
- Population growth 1.6% (2025)
- Population, total 5.48 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 2.0% (2025)
- Urban population 3.54 million (2025)
- Urban population 64.6% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 6.34 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 2.37 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 6.34 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 6.34 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Ireland?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Ireland was 208.43 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 288.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1971.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 188.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1968.
- How does Ireland rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Ireland ranks 106th out of 204 regions with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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.