Carbon intensity of energy in Japan

Japan: Carbon intensity of energy was 208.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
208.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
105th
of 204 countries
All-time high
240.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2013
All-time low
197.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1987
Years of data
60
1965–2024

Carbon intensity of energy in Japan, 1965–2024

050100150200250196519942024

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

Japan recorded 208.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour for carbon intensity of energy in 2024.

That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and down 12.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Japan peaked at 240.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2013 and was at its lowest, 197.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 1987.

Japan ranks 105th of 204 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 226.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 218.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 231.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 5
1970s 225.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 212.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 235.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 10
1980s 214.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 197.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 228.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 10
1990s 212.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 201.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 225.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 10
2000s 205.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 200.48 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 211.09 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 10
2010s 227.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 202.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 240.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 10
2020s 215.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 208.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 223.59 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 5

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 102 Saudi Arabia 211.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
  2. 103 Turkmenistan 210.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
  3. 104 Mexico 210.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
  4. 107 Central African Republic 207.6 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
  5. 108 Sierra Leone 205.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare

See the full ranking of 204 places →

More climate change data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is carbon intensity of energy in Japan?
Carbon intensity of energy in Japan was 208.5 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 Japan?
The highest recorded value was 240.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2013.
What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 197.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1987.
How does Japan rank for carbon intensity of energy?
Japan ranks 105th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Japan 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

Indicator
Carbon intensity of energy
Unit
grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Source
Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
204 places, 9,804 data points, 1965–2024
Last refreshed

Fossil carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per unit of total energy supply, measured in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.