Carbon intensity of energy in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Carbon intensity of energy was 217.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
217.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
88th
of 204 countries
All-time high
397.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1969
All-time low
152.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1988
Years of data
60
1965–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka stood at 217.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Sri Lanka peaked at 397.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1969 and was at its lowest, 152.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 1988.
Sri Lanka ranks 88th of 204 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Carbon intensity of energy in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 272.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1966 | 265.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.5% |
| 1967 | 287.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.1% |
| 1968 | 306.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.7% |
| 1969 | 397.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +29.6% |
| 1970 | 196.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -50.7% |
| 1971 | 172.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -12.2% |
| 1972 | 181.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.3% |
| 1973 | 179.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.2% |
| 1974 | 173.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.3% |
| 1975 | 164.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.0% |
| 1976 | 162.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 158.19 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.9% |
| 1978 | 179.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +13.3% |
| 1979 | 189.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.7% |
| 1980 | 167.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -11.9% |
| 1981 | 188.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +12.8% |
| 1982 | 193.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 207.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +7.0% |
| 1984 | 165.34 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -20.2% |
| 1985 | 184.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +11.7% |
| 1986 | 165.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -10.3% |
| 1987 | 169.33 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 152.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -9.7% |
| 1989 | 160.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.9% |
| 1990 | 160.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 173.08 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.0% |
| 1992 | 191.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +10.5% |
| 1993 | 178.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.5% |
| 1994 | 179.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 179.19 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 188.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 197.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.0% |
| 1998 | 192.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 197.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 211.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +7.3% |
| 2001 | 220.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 223.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 220.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 248.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +12.6% |
| 2005 | 210.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -15.1% |
| 2006 | 199.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 196.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 207.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.6% |
| 2009 | 218.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.3% |
| 2010 | 213.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 214.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 213.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 211.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 220.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 238.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.2% |
| 2016 | 240.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 223.83 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.8% |
| 2018 | 200.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -10.5% |
| 2019 | 203.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 219.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +7.8% |
| 2021 | 216.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 228.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.2% |
| 2023 | 221.58 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.9% |
| 2024 | 217.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.9% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 217.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 219.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 99% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 217.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for South Asia, which is 256.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 85% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Carbon intensity of energy in Sri Lanka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | -50.7% | 397.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 196.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 306.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 265.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 397.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 175.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 158.19 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 196.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 175.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 152.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 207.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 183.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 160.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 197.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 215.83 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 196.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 248.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 218.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 200.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 240.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 220.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 216.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 228.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 85 Solomon Islands 219.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 86 Taiwan 218.54 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 87 Malawi 217.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 89 Iran 216.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 90 Jordan 215.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 91 Togo 215.58 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Sri Lanka
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 327.09 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,418 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 618.46 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,800 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,168 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,071 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,097 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.82 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Sri Lanka?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Sri Lanka was 217.37 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 397.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1969.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 152.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1988.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Sri Lanka ranks 88th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.