Carbon intensity of energy in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Carbon intensity of energy was 205.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
205.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
108th
of 204 countries
All-time high
270.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2016
All-time low
47.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1999
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in Sierra Leone, 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
In 2024, carbon intensity of energy in Sierra Leone stood at 205.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Sierra Leone peaked at 270.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2016 and was at its lowest, 47.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 1999.
Sierra Leone ranks 108th of 204 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Carbon intensity of energy in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 193.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1981 | 221.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +14.2% |
| 1982 | 163.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -26.0% |
| 1983 | 220.05 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +34.5% |
| 1984 | 196.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -10.9% |
| 1985 | 192.6 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 185.45 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.7% |
| 1987 | 125.09 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -32.5% |
| 1988 | 105.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -15.5% |
| 1989 | 88.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -16.1% |
| 1990 | 116.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +31.4% |
| 1991 | 122.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.5% |
| 1992 | 86.15 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -29.9% |
| 1993 | 80.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.3% |
| 1994 | 88.54 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +9.7% |
| 1995 | 62.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -29.3% |
| 1996 | 65.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.8% |
| 1997 | 55.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -15.4% |
| 1998 | 59.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +7.1% |
| 1999 | 47.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -20.0% |
| 2000 | 146.86 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +208.7% |
| 2001 | 160.83 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +9.5% |
| 2002 | 214.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +33.6% |
| 2003 | 224.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 217.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 199.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -8.0% |
| 2006 | 216.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.5% |
| 2007 | 196.58 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -9.3% |
| 2008 | 207.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 204.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 200.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 206.7 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 211.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 226.83 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +7.4% |
| 2014 | 222.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 263.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +18.4% |
| 2016 | 270.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 262.33 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 226.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -13.8% |
| 2019 | 223.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 226.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 229.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 227.42 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 204.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -10.1% |
| 2024 | 205.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.7% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 205.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for low income countries, which is 234.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 88% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 205.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 227.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Carbon intensity of energy in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +208.7% | 47.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 146.86 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 169.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 88.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 221.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 78.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 47.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 122.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 198.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 146.86 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 224.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 231.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 200.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 270.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 218.66 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 204.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 229.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 105 Japan 208.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 106 Ireland 208.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 107 Central African Republic 207.6 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 109 Germany 204.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 110 Russia 204.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 111 Venezuela 203.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Sierra Leone
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 3.65 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,547 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 538.77 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,008 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 36.02 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,431 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 201.66 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,229 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.761 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Sierra Leone?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Sierra Leone was 205.91 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 Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 270.1 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2016.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.57 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1999.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Sierra Leone ranks 108th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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.