France vs Spain: Electricity Compared
France generated 574 TWh of electricity in 2025 and Spain 288 TWh, according to Ember. France's largest source was nuclear (68.3%); Spain's was solar (21.9%). Each kWh generated emitted 41 gCO2/kWh in France and 154 gCO2/kWh in Spain. These are Ember annual statistics for 2025, compiled from national sources; they are not real time.
Who is bigger and who is cleaner? France is the bigger electricity producer, generating 2.0 times as much as Spain in 2025 (574 TWh against 288 TWh). France has the cleaner electricity by carbon intensity, at 41 gCO2/kWh against 154 gCO2/kWh in Spain in 2025.
Why this comparison: neighbours by land border or interconnector.
Open this comparison in the interactive tool to add more countries or change the metric.
Key Facts
- Nuclear supplied 68.3% of France's electricity in 2025, against 18.8% in Spain.
- Spain's electricity was 3.7 times as carbon intensive as France's in 2025, at 154 gCO2/kWh against 41 gCO2/kWh.
- Low carbon sources supplied 94.9% of France's electricity in 2025 and 74.6% of Spain's.
- Electricity demand in 2025 was 481 TWh in France and 276 TWh in Spain.
Key Figures, 2025
Ember annual statistics| Measure | France | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Total generation | 574 TWh | 288 TWh |
| Electricity demand | 481 TWh | 276 TWh |
| Demand per person | 7.15 MWh | 5.75 MWh |
| Carbon intensity | 41 gCO2/kWh | 154 gCO2/kWh |
| Power sector emissions | 23.7 MtCO2 | 44.4 MtCO2 |
| Low carbon share | 94.9% | 74.6% |
| Largest source | Nuclear 68.3% | Solar 21.9% |
Generation Mix, 2025
Share of generation| Source | France | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 68.3% | 18.8% |
| Solar | 5.6% | 21.9% |
| Gas | 3.0% | 21.5% |
| Wind | 8.8% | 20.4% |
| Hydro | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| Other fossil | 1.8% | 3.5% |
| Bioenergy | 1.8% | 2.2% |
| Coal | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Other renewables | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Carbon Intensity, 1990 to 2025
Ember annual statistics| Year | France | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 104 gCO2/kWh | 437 gCO2/kWh |
| 1991 | 122 gCO2/kWh | 427 gCO2/kWh |
| 1992 | 102 gCO2/kWh | 473 gCO2/kWh |
| 1993 | 69 gCO2/kWh | 444 gCO2/kWh |
| 1994 | 67 gCO2/kWh | 434 gCO2/kWh |
| 1995 | 73 gCO2/kWh | 466 gCO2/kWh |
| 1996 | 79 gCO2/kWh | 386 gCO2/kWh |
| 1997 | 71 gCO2/kWh | 431 gCO2/kWh |
| 1998 | 97 gCO2/kWh | 424 gCO2/kWh |
| 1999 | 87 gCO2/kWh | 483 gCO2/kWh |
| 2000 | 80 gCO2/kWh | 471 gCO2/kWh |
| 2001 | 69 gCO2/kWh | 422 gCO2/kWh |
| 2002 | 75 gCO2/kWh | 482 gCO2/kWh |
| 2003 | 81 gCO2/kWh | 429 gCO2/kWh |
| 2004 | 77 gCO2/kWh | 449 gCO2/kWh |
| 2005 | 86 gCO2/kWh | 475 gCO2/kWh |
| 2006 | 77 gCO2/kWh | 433 gCO2/kWh |
| 2007 | 80 gCO2/kWh | 439 gCO2/kWh |
| 2008 | 76 gCO2/kWh | 390 gCO2/kWh |
| 2009 | 76 gCO2/kWh | 355 gCO2/kWh |
| 2010 | 79 gCO2/kWh | 288 gCO2/kWh |
| 2011 | 75 gCO2/kWh | 337 gCO2/kWh |
| 2012 | 78 gCO2/kWh | 351 gCO2/kWh |
| 2013 | 76 gCO2/kWh | 287 gCO2/kWh |
| 2014 | 52 gCO2/kWh | 289 gCO2/kWh |
| 2015 | 59 gCO2/kWh | 328 gCO2/kWh |
| 2016 | 69 gCO2/kWh | 283 gCO2/kWh |
| 2017 | 78 gCO2/kWh | 329 gCO2/kWh |
| 2018 | 60 gCO2/kWh | 291 gCO2/kWh |
| 2019 | 60 gCO2/kWh | 247 gCO2/kWh |
| 2020 | 59 gCO2/kWh | 199 gCO2/kWh |
| 2021 | 60 gCO2/kWh | 194 gCO2/kWh |
| 2022 | 79 gCO2/kWh | 217 gCO2/kWh |
| 2023 | 53 gCO2/kWh | 170 gCO2/kWh |
| 2024 | 40 gCO2/kWh | 146 gCO2/kWh |
| 2025 | 41 gCO2/kWh | 154 gCO2/kWh |
Demand per Person, 1990 to 2025
Ember annual statistics| Year | France | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | n/a | n/a |
| 1991 | n/a | n/a |
| 1992 | n/a | n/a |
| 1993 | n/a | n/a |
| 1994 | n/a | n/a |
| 1995 | n/a | n/a |
| 1996 | n/a | n/a |
| 1997 | n/a | n/a |
| 1998 | n/a | n/a |
| 1999 | n/a | n/a |
| 2000 | 7.79 MWh | 5.49 MWh |
| 2001 | 7.92 MWh | 5.73 MWh |
| 2002 | 7.86 MWh | 5.87 MWh |
| 2003 | 8.11 MWh | 6.08 MWh |
| 2004 | 8.25 MWh | 6.33 MWh |
| 2005 | 8.26 MWh | 6.55 MWh |
| 2006 | 8.12 MWh | 6.54 MWh |
| 2007 | 8.09 MWh | 6.51 MWh |
| 2008 | 8.27 MWh | 6.46 MWh |
| 2009 | 7.97 MWh | 6.06 MWh |
| 2010 | 8.38 MWh | 6.18 MWh |
| 2011 | 8.02 MWh | 6.07 MWh |
| 2012 | 8.17 MWh | 6.01 MWh |
| 2013 | 8.21 MWh | 5.86 MWh |
| 2014 | 7.72 MWh | 5.80 MWh |
| 2015 | 7.86 MWh | 5.93 MWh |
| 2016 | 7.95 MWh | 5.96 MWh |
| 2017 | 7.90 MWh | 6.01 MWh |
| 2018 | 7.83 MWh | 6.00 MWh |
| 2019 | 7.73 MWh | 5.85 MWh |
| 2020 | 7.32 MWh | 5.51 MWh |
| 2021 | 7.65 MWh | 5.69 MWh |
| 2022 | 7.29 MWh | 5.59 MWh |
| 2023 | 7.05 MWh | 5.53 MWh |
| 2024 | 7.09 MWh | 5.65 MWh |
| 2025 | 7.15 MWh | 5.75 MWh |
France history · Spain history
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2025.
Related
Cite this page
World Power Monitor. (2025). France vs Spain: Electricity Compared. https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/france-vs-spain/
World Power Monitor. France vs Spain: Electricity Compared. Data as of 2025. Data from Ember. https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/france-vs-spain/
@misc{wpm_compare_france_vs_spain_2025,
title = {{France vs Spain: Electricity Compared}},
author = {{World Power Monitor}},
year = {2025},
note = {Data as of 2025. Data from Ember.},
url = {https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/france-vs-spain/}
} Permalink: https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/france-vs-spain/
The Copy buttons add today's date as the access date.