Carbon intensity of energy in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Carbon intensity of energy was 176.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Carbon intensity of energy in United Kingdom, 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
United Kingdom recorded 176.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour for carbon intensity of energy in 2024.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and down 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in United Kingdom peaked at 269.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1965 and was at its lowest, 166.82 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 2022.
United Kingdom ranks 156th of 204 countries on this measure, 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 | 258.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 251.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 269.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 249.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 242.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 263.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 235.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 229.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 243.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 223.87 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 212.35 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 239.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 211.99 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 204.79 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 214.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 192.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 175.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 207.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 175.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 166.82 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 182.67 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 153 Cote d'Ivoire 177.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 154 Costa Rica 177.38 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 155 Palestine 176.78 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 157 Belarus 174.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 158 Albania 173.66 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 159 Democratic Republic of Congo 172.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for United Kingdom
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.7% (2100)
- Population growth 0.3% (2025)
- Population, total 69.49 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Urban population 57.90 million (2025)
- Urban population 83.3% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 4.53 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 80.08 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 4.53 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 4.53 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in United Kingdom?
- Carbon intensity of energy in United Kingdom was 176.71 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 269.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1965.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 166.82 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2022.
- How does United Kingdom rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- United Kingdom ranks 156th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.