Carbon intensity of energy in New Zealand
New Zealand: Carbon intensity of energy was 125.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Carbon intensity of energy in New Zealand, 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
In 2024, carbon intensity of energy in New Zealand stood at 125.88 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in New Zealand peaked at 182.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1988 and was at its lowest, 124.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 2023.
That places New Zealand 191st out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 175.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 169.03 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 181.82 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 169.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 154.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 178.58 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 168.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 156.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 182.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 163.03 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 158.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 170.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 171.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 158.19 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 180.87 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 138.02 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 127.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 150.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 129.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 124.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 135.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 188 Mozambique 141.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 189 Belgium 136.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 190 Netherlands 131.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 193 Norway 121.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for New Zealand
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.1% (2100)
- Population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Population, total 5.32 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Urban population 4.47 million (2025)
- Urban population 84.0% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 6.23 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 2.01 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 6.23 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 6.23 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in New Zealand?
- Carbon intensity of energy in New Zealand was 125.88 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 182.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1988.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 124.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2023.
- How does New Zealand rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- New Zealand ranks 191st out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.