Higher alcohol synthesis over a K2O-promoted Co2O3/CuO/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst has been studied in an internal recycle reactor under steady-state conditions using hydrogen to carbon monoxide inlet ratios between 0.5 and 3.3 and inlet carbon dioxide concentrations between 0 and 10%. The selectivity of hydrocarbons and alcohols with 1-8 carbon atoms was obtained as a function of exit carbon dioxide content, exit hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio, and operating temperature (498-578 K), using space velocities between 1500 and 15 000 h(-1) (STP). These experiments, combined with information obtained from active catalyst characterization using XPS, indicated that the chain growth probability factor of higher alcohols was independent of conversion, whereas that of hydrocarbons was dependent on conversion.