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Built 2026-11-05 (5 November 2026)

Costa Rica vs El Salvador: Electricity Compared

Costa Rica generated 12.9 TWh of electricity in 2025 and El Salvador 6.57 TWh, according to Ember. Hydro was the largest source in both, at 74.9% in Costa Rica and 32.1% in El Salvador. Each kWh generated emitted 25 gCO2/kWh in Costa Rica and 98 gCO2/kWh in El Salvador. These are Ember annual statistics for 2025, compiled from national sources; they are not real time.

Who is bigger and who is cleaner? Costa Rica is the bigger electricity producer, generating 2.0 times as much as El Salvador in 2025 (12.9 TWh against 6.57 TWh). Costa Rica has the cleaner electricity by carbon intensity, at 25 gCO2/kWh against 98 gCO2/kWh in El Salvador 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

  • Hydro supplied 74.9% of Costa Rica's electricity in 2025, against 32.1% in El Salvador.
  • El Salvador's electricity was 4.0 times as carbon intensive as Costa Rica's in 2025, at 98 gCO2/kWh against 25 gCO2/kWh.
  • Electricity demand rose 12% in Costa Rica between 2020 and 2025, while it fell 13% in El Salvador.
  • The average person in Costa Rica used 2.42 MWh of electricity in 2025, 2.5 times as much as in El Salvador (0.98 MWh).
  • Low carbon sources supplied 100.0% of Costa Rica's electricity in 2025 and 93.3% of El Salvador's.
  • Electricity demand in 2025 was 12.6 TWh in Costa Rica and 6.18 TWh in El Salvador.

Key Figures, 2025

Ember annual statistics
Measure Costa Rica El Salvador
Total generation12.9 TWh6.57 TWh
Electricity demand12.6 TWh6.18 TWh
Demand per person2.42 MWh0.98 MWh
Carbon intensity25 gCO2/kWh98 gCO2/kWh
Power sector emissions0.32 MtCO20.64 MtCO2
Low carbon share100.0%93.3%
Largest sourceHydro 74.9%Hydro 32.1%

Generation Mix, 2025

Share of generation
Source Costa Rica El Salvador
Hydro 74.9% 32.1%
Other renewables 11.9% 24.2%
Solar 0.8% 22.3%
Bioenergy 0.4% 12.1%
Wind 12.0% 2.7%
Other fossil 0.0% 6.7%

Carbon Intensity, 2000 to 2025

Ember annual statistics
Carbon intensity of electricity in Costa Rica and El Salvador, 2000 to 2025 Carbon intensity of electricity generated in Costa Rica and El Salvador each year from 2000 to 2025, in gCO2/kWh. In 2025 it was 25 gCO2/kWh in Costa Rica and 98 gCO2/kWh in El Salvador. 0 100 200 300 400 200020052010201520202025
Carbon intensity of electricity generated in Costa Rica and El Salvador each year from 2000 to 2025, in gCO2/kWh. In 2025 it was 25 gCO2/kWh in Costa Rica and 98 gCO2/kWh in El Salvador.
Annual statistics through 2025, gCO2/kWh
Carbon intensity of electricity in Costa Rica and El Salvador, 2000 to 2025
YearCosta RicaEl Salvador
200031 gCO2/kWh308 gCO2/kWh
200135 gCO2/kWh321 gCO2/kWh
200237 gCO2/kWh342 gCO2/kWh
200340 gCO2/kWh307 gCO2/kWh
200431 gCO2/kWh330 gCO2/kWh
200548 gCO2/kWh305 gCO2/kWh
200666 gCO2/kWh295 gCO2/kWh
200778 gCO2/kWh306 gCO2/kWh
200873 gCO2/kWh268 gCO2/kWh
200958 gCO2/kWh309 gCO2/kWh
201070 gCO2/kWh255 gCO2/kWh
201184 gCO2/kWh268 gCO2/kWh
201280 gCO2/kWh288 gCO2/kWh
2013103 gCO2/kWh289 gCO2/kWh
201493 gCO2/kWh293 gCO2/kWh
201534 gCO2/kWh310 gCO2/kWh
201638 gCO2/kWh307 gCO2/kWh
201729 gCO2/kWh213 gCO2/kWh
201835 gCO2/kWh196 gCO2/kWh
201932 gCO2/kWh236 gCO2/kWh
202028 gCO2/kWh152 gCO2/kWh
202127 gCO2/kWh145 gCO2/kWh
202225 gCO2/kWh113 gCO2/kWh
202325 gCO2/kWh135 gCO2/kWh
202426 gCO2/kWh114 gCO2/kWh
202525 gCO2/kWh98 gCO2/kWh

Demand per Person, 2000 to 2025

Ember annual statistics
Electricity demand per person in Costa Rica and El Salvador, 2000 to 2025 Electricity demand per person in Costa Rica and El Salvador each year from 2000 to 2025, in MWh. In 2025 it was 2.42 MWh in Costa Rica and 0.98 MWh in El Salvador. 0.0 0.6 1.3 1.9 2.5 200020052010201520202025
Electricity demand per person in Costa Rica and El Salvador each year from 2000 to 2025, in MWh. In 2025 it was 2.42 MWh in Costa Rica and 0.98 MWh in El Salvador.
Annual statistics through 2025, MWh
Electricity demand per person in Costa Rica and El Salvador, 2000 to 2025
YearCosta RicaEl Salvador
20001.62 MWh0.73 MWh
20011.66 MWh0.74 MWh
20021.72 MWh0.80 MWh
20031.74 MWh0.83 MWh
20041.84 MWh0.87 MWh
20051.92 MWh0.90 MWh
20062.02 MWh0.95 MWh
20072.09 MWh0.99 MWh
20082.10 MWh1.01 MWh
20092.06 MWh0.99 MWh
20102.09 MWh1.01 MWh
20112.11 MWh1.03 MWh
20122.17 MWh1.05 MWh
20132.17 MWh1.06 MWh
20142.18 MWh1.08 MWh
20152.21 MWh1.13 MWh
20162.27 MWh1.15 MWh
20172.26 MWh1.15 MWh
20182.26 MWh1.16 MWh
20192.29 MWh1.20 MWh
20202.23 MWh1.13 MWh
20212.32 MWh1.34 MWh
20222.31 MWh1.15 MWh
20232.36 MWh0.89 MWh
20242.19 MWh0.98 MWh
20252.42 MWh0.98 MWh

Costa Rica history · El Salvador history

Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2025.

Cite this page
APA 7

World Power Monitor. (2025). Costa Rica vs El Salvador: Electricity Compared. https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/costa-rica-vs-el-salvador/

Plain text

World Power Monitor. Costa Rica vs El Salvador: Electricity Compared. Data as of 2025. Data from Ember. https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/costa-rica-vs-el-salvador/

BibTeX 
@misc{wpm_compare_costa_rica_vs_el_salvador_2025,
  title = {{Costa Rica vs El Salvador: Electricity Compared}},
  author = {{World Power Monitor}},
  year = {2025},
  note = {Data as of 2025. Data from Ember.},
  url = {https://worldpowermonitor.com/compare/costa-rica-vs-el-salvador/}
}

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