Carbon intensity of energy in Uruguay
Uruguay: Carbon intensity of energy was 149 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
149 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
182nd
of 204 countries
All-time high
216.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 1981
All-time low
130.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2019
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Carbon intensity of energy in Uruguay, 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 Uruguay stood at 149 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity of energy in Uruguay peaked at 216.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1981 and was at its lowest, 130.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 2019.
Uruguay ranks 182nd of 204 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Carbon intensity of energy in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 215.29 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1981 | 216.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 207.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.1% |
| 1983 | 188.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -9.0% |
| 1984 | 173.15 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -8.3% |
| 1985 | 177.62 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 171.33 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 170.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 197.48 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +16.0% |
| 1989 | 214.45 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.6% |
| 1990 | 157.69 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -26.5% |
| 1991 | 201.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +27.6% |
| 1992 | 210.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 166.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -20.9% |
| 1994 | 156.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.2% |
| 1995 | 186.45 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +19.3% |
| 1996 | 206.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +10.6% |
| 1997 | 193.14 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.3% |
| 1998 | 167.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -13.4% |
| 1999 | 187.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +12.4% |
| 2000 | 154.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -18.0% |
| 2001 | 148.03 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 162.26 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +9.6% |
| 2003 | 149.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -8.0% |
| 2004 | 154.29 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 159.15 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 175.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +10.2% |
| 2007 | 158.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -9.4% |
| 2008 | 172.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.6% |
| 2009 | 163.89 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 140.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -14.4% |
| 2011 | 159.93 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +14.0% |
| 2012 | 170.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.8% |
| 2013 | 155.71 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -8.8% |
| 2014 | 144.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.5% |
| 2015 | 137.76 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 132.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 134 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 140.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.6% |
| 2019 | 130.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -6.8% |
| 2020 | 142.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +9.0% |
| 2021 | 155.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +9.5% |
| 2022 | 149.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 146.29 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 149 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.9% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 149 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for high income countries, which is 184.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 81% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 149 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 213.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 70% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 193.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 170.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 216.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 183.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 156.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 210.56 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 159.78 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 148.03 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 175.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 144.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 130.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 170.77 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 148.6 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 142.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 155.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
- 179 Spain 155.94 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 180 Eswatini 149.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 181 Armenia 149.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 183 Moldova 148.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 184 Vanuatu 145.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 185 Paraguay 144.84 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
More climate change data for Uruguay
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 282.29 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 30,988 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 6,806 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 24,182 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 25.68 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 863.65 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,857 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,098 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,759 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.92 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon intensity of energy in Uruguay?
- Carbon intensity of energy in Uruguay was 149 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 Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 216.41 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 1981.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity of energy recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 130.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2019.
- How does Uruguay rank for carbon intensity of energy?
- Uruguay ranks 182nd out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity of energy rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uruguay 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.