Carbon intensity of energy in United States
United States: Carbon intensity of energy was 191.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Carbon intensity of energy in United States, 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 United States stood at 191.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour. That is the lowest value across all 60 years on record.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in United States peaked at 244.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1970 and was at its lowest, 191.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 2024.
That places United States 132nd out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 239.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 235.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 241.95 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
| 1970s | 237.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 231.36 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 244.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 228.07 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 223.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 233.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 227.97 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 226.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 230.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 227.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 220.46 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 229.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 211.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 201.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 220.22 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 195.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 191.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 199.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 129 Somalia 194.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 130 Benin 193.13 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 131 Argentina 192.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 133 El Salvador 191.66 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 134 Sao Tome and Principe 191.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 135 Lithuania 190.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for United States
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 4.1% (2100)
- Population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Population, total 341.79 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.6% (2025)
- Urban population 274.08 million (2025)
- Urban population 80.2% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 434.87 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in United States?
- Carbon intensity of energy in United States was 191.81 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 States?
- The highest recorded value was 244.96 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1970.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 191.81 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024.
- How does United States rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- United States ranks 132nd out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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.