Uzbekistan Has the Dirtiest Electricity Grid, 1,000 gCO2/kWh in 2025
Among 82 countries generating at least 10 TWh with a valid figure in 2025, Uzbekistan had the highest carbon intensity: 1,000 gCO2/kWh. Next are Kazakhstan (813 gCO2/kWh), Indonesia (705 gCO2/kWh) and South Africa (699 gCO2/kWh). The world average was 460 gCO2/kWh in 2025. Carbon intensity is the CO2 emitted per kilowatt hour of electricity generated, counting lifecycle emissions from every source.
Top 20, 2025
Carbon intensity| Country | Carbon intensity | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 1,000 gCO2/kWh | 86.7 TWh |
| 2. 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 813 gCO2/kWh | 124 TWh |
| 3. 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 705 gCO2/kWh | 528 TWh |
| 4. 🇿🇦 South Africa | 699 gCO2/kWh | 243 TWh |
| 5. 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 696 gCO2/kWh | 103 TWh |
| 6. 🇷🇸 Serbia | 696 gCO2/kWh | 36.2 TWh |
| 7. 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 680 gCO2/kWh | 471 TWh |
| 8. 🇮🇳 India | 671 gCO2/kWh | 2,080 TWh |
| 9. 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 656 gCO2/kWh | 19.5 TWh |
| 10. 🇮🇷 Iran | 656 gCO2/kWh | 399 TWh |
| 11. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 639 gCO2/kWh | 27.8 TWh |
| 12. 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 635 gCO2/kWh | 89.2 TWh |
| 13. 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 634 gCO2/kWh | 289 TWh |
| 14. 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 606 gCO2/kWh | 210 TWh |
| 15. 🇲🇦 Morocco | 603 gCO2/kWh | 44.2 TWh |
| 16. 🇵🇭 Philippines | 595 gCO2/kWh | 123 TWh |
| 17. 🇵🇱 Poland | 591 gCO2/kWh | 173 TWh |
| 18. 🇶🇦 Qatar | 582 gCO2/kWh | 57.2 TWh |
| 19. 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 573 gCO2/kWh | 14.5 TWh |
| 20. 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 562 gCO2/kWh | 22.4 TWh |
Countries that generated at least 10 TWh in 2025, 82 in this data. Smaller grids are left out so a tiny system does not top every list. Countries with a zero or negative reported intensity are excluded: those are provisional artifacts in Ember's data.
How the Leaders Got Here
2010 to 2025| Year | Uzbekistan | Kazakhstan | Indonesia | South Africa | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,054 gCO2/kWh | 836 gCO2/kWh | 637 gCO2/kWh | 808 gCO2/kWh | 675 gCO2/kWh |
| 2011 | 1,118 gCO2/kWh | 842 gCO2/kWh | 667 gCO2/kWh | 804 gCO2/kWh | 672 gCO2/kWh |
| 2012 | 1,098 gCO2/kWh | 853 gCO2/kWh | 687 gCO2/kWh | 807 gCO2/kWh | 674 gCO2/kWh |
| 2013 | 1,126 gCO2/kWh | 855 gCO2/kWh | 682 gCO2/kWh | 800 gCO2/kWh | 674 gCO2/kWh |
| 2014 | 1,121 gCO2/kWh | 850 gCO2/kWh | 692 gCO2/kWh | 792 gCO2/kWh | 677 gCO2/kWh |
| 2015 | 1,112 gCO2/kWh | 835 gCO2/kWh | 697 gCO2/kWh | 791 gCO2/kWh | 676 gCO2/kWh |
| 2016 | 1,114 gCO2/kWh | 813 gCO2/kWh | 689 gCO2/kWh | 779 gCO2/kWh | 673 gCO2/kWh |
| 2017 | 1,097 gCO2/kWh | 831 gCO2/kWh | 689 gCO2/kWh | 769 gCO2/kWh | 672 gCO2/kWh |
| 2018 | 1,139 gCO2/kWh | 840 gCO2/kWh | 684 gCO2/kWh | 775 gCO2/kWh | 673 gCO2/kWh |
| 2019 | 1,119 gCO2/kWh | 839 gCO2/kWh | 694 gCO2/kWh | 764 gCO2/kWh | 675 gCO2/kWh |
| 2020 | 1,149 gCO2/kWh | 835 gCO2/kWh | 685 gCO2/kWh | 763 gCO2/kWh | 679 gCO2/kWh |
| 2021 | 1,151 gCO2/kWh | 831 gCO2/kWh | 685 gCO2/kWh | 742 gCO2/kWh | 679 gCO2/kWh |
| 2022 | 1,121 gCO2/kWh | 832 gCO2/kWh | 676 gCO2/kWh | 729 gCO2/kWh | 676 gCO2/kWh |
| 2023 | 1,113 gCO2/kWh | 825 gCO2/kWh | 681 gCO2/kWh | 714 gCO2/kWh | 683 gCO2/kWh |
| 2024 | 1,040 gCO2/kWh | 806 gCO2/kWh | 681 gCO2/kWh | 718 gCO2/kWh | 696 gCO2/kWh |
| 2025 | 1,000 gCO2/kWh | 813 gCO2/kWh | 705 gCO2/kWh | 699 gCO2/kWh | 696 gCO2/kWh |
Key Facts
- Uzbekistan had the highest carbon intensity of any country generating at least 10 TWh in 2025: 1,000 gCO2/kWh.
- That is 2.2 times the world average of 460 gCO2/kWh in 2025.
- The tenth dirtiest grid, Iran, emitted 656 gCO2/kWh in 2025.
Questions About This Ranking
Which country has the most carbon intensive electricity?
Uzbekistan, at 1,000 gCO2/kWh in 2025, among countries generating at least 10 TWh. Carbon intensity is CO2 per kilowatt hour generated.
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2025. Annual statistics from Ember.
Related
Cite this page
World Power Monitor. (2025). Dirtiest Electricity Grids: Highest Carbon Intensity, 2025. https://worldpowermonitor.com/records/dirtiest-grids/
World Power Monitor. Dirtiest Electricity Grids: Highest Carbon Intensity, 2025. Data as of 2025. Data from Ember. https://worldpowermonitor.com/records/dirtiest-grids/
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note = {Data as of 2025. Data from Ember.},
url = {https://worldpowermonitor.com/records/dirtiest-grids/}
} Permalink: https://worldpowermonitor.com/records/dirtiest-grids/
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