List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita explained

This is a list of sovereign states and territories by per capita carbon dioxide emissions due to certain forms of human activity, based on the EDGAR database created by European Commission. The following table lists the annual per capita emissions estimates (in kilotons of per year) for the year 2023, as well as the change from the year 2000.[1]

The data only consider carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and cement manufacture, but not emissions from land use, land-use change and forestry Over the last 150 years, estimated cumulative emissions from land use and land-use change represent approximately one-third of total cumulative anthropogenic emissions.[2] Emissions from international shipping or bunker fuels are also not included in national figures,[3] which can make a large difference for small countries with important ports.

Measures of territorial-based emissions, also known as production-based emissions, do not account for emissions embedded in global trade, where emissions may be imported or exported in the form of traded goods, as it only reports emissions emitted within geographical boundaries. Accordingly, a proportion of the produced and reported in Asia and Africa is for the production of goods consumed in Europe and North America.[4]

According to the review of the scientific literature conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), carbon dioxide is the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas by warming contribution.[5] The other major anthropogenic greenhouse gases[6] [7]) are not included in the following list, nor are humans emissions of water vapor, the most important greenhouse gases, as they are negligible compared to naturally occurring quantities.[8]

According to Science for Policy report in 2024 by the Joint Research Centre (JRC – the European Commission's science and knowledge service) and International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2023, global GHG emissions primarily consisted of, resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels (73.7%).

Per capita emissions by country/territory

See also: List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions.

The data in the following table is extracted from EDGAR - Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research.

List of countries by carbon emissions per capita
Location% ofglobalaverageEmissions per capita(tons per year)% changefrom 2000
2023 2000
100% 4.86 4.19 %
117% 5.66 8.32 %
1288% 62.59 110.66 %
896% 43.55 53.61 %
512% 24.90 26.56 %
435% 21.12 18.23 %
430% 20.90 10.22 %
426% 20.70 26.74 %
416% 20.22 28.04 %
406% 19.71 15.09 %
405% 19.67 10.94 %
353% 17.15 12.77 %
352% 17.11 11.60 %
307% 14.91 17.67 %
302% 14.66 42.90 %
297% 14.45 11.48 %
293% 14.21 18.56 %
285% 13.83 21.03 %
263% 12.76 9.38 %
256% 12.43 8.78 %
240% 11.68 10.90 %
230% 11.18 20.18 %
227% 11.04 10.01 %
216% 10.51 8.71 %
210% 10.21 0.02 +42,740%
193% 9.38 11.63 %
190% 9.24 2.86 %
187% 9.10 5.35 %
183% 8.88 9.20 %
183% 8.87 12.42 %
181% 8.79 10.18 %
175% 8.52 12.86 %
174% 8.45 3.77 %
172% 8.37 3.36 %
171% 8.30 5.64 %
162% 7.86 9.28 %
157% 7.63 8.12 %
155% 7.54 9.79 %
149% 7.22 8.52 %
148% 7.18 12.15 %
146% 7.09 11.11 %
145% 7.06 10.70 %
137% 6.65 8.26 %
135% 6.56 7.59 %
134% 6.50 11.39 %
133% 6.48 2.50 %
132% 6.40 7.72 %
130% 6.33 3.79 %
125% 6.08 5.01 %
124% 6.00 2.27 %
121% 5.86 6.02 %
120% 5.84 2.35 %
120% 5.83 7.56 %
119% 5.81 7.56 %
119% 5.79 5.66 %
118% 5.73 2.80 %
118% 5.73 11.09 %
112% 5.42 3.15 %
107% 5.19 7.94 %
106% 5.13 3.59 %
101% 4.91 2.96 %
97% 4.69 8.62 %
96% 4.68 7.66 %
96% 4.66 3.33 %
95% 4.61 5.82 %
94% 4.56 9.95 %
93% 4.51 6.29 %
92% 4.45 3.53 %
92% 4.45 3.13 %
91% 4.44 2.20 %
91% 4.42 3.45 %
91% 4.42 9.36 %
89% 4.31 4.38 %
88% 4.30 3.77 %
88% 4.27 3.03 %
88% 4.25 6.73 %
86% 4.19 4.44 %
85% 4.14 3.54 %
85% 4.13 6.42 %
85% 4.11 2.21 %
83% 4.04 3.35 %
82% 4.01 5.26 %
82% 3.99 2.82 %
81% 3.94 2.78 %
81% 3.93 3.69 %
80% 3.87 6.25 %
79% 3.85 5.38 %
78% 3.80 6.63 %
76% 3.70 4.40 %
76% 3.69 0.70 %
74% 3.58 6.22 %
73% 3.56 3.03 %
72% 3.52 3.90 %
72% 3.49 0.18 +1,892%
71% 3.43 6.53 %
69% 3.33 1.10 %
68% 3.29 2.06 %
68% 3.29 1.71 %
65% 3.17 7.37 %
62% 3.00 4.73 %
62% 2.99 1.62 %
60% 2.93 2.37 %
58% 2.83 1.74 %
58% 2.81 2.78 %
57% 2.76 2.18 %
56% 2.74 2.22 %
56% 2.71 0.94 %
54% 2.63 1.16 %
54% 2.61 1.45 %
53% 2.57 2.18 %
52% 2.51 1.75 %
51% 2.50 1.68 %
51% 2.50 1.64 %
51% 2.47 5.62 %
51% 2.46 3.22 %
50% 2.44 4.47 %
50% 2.41 1.41 %
48% 2.35 1.80 %
48% 2.34 3.84 %
47% 2.31 0.71 %
47% 2.31 1.83 %
47% 2.30 1.08 %
46% 2.25 3.23 %
46% 2.21 1.34 %
45% 2.20 1.99 %
44% 2.16 5.36 %
43% 2.07 0.95 %
42% 2.05 1.09 %
41% 1.98 0.98 %
41% 1.97 1.55 %
40% 1.95 1.03 %
39% 1.92 2.60 %
38% 1.82 1.16 %
35% 1.71 0.65 %
35% 1.70 1.12 %
34% 1.66 1.30 %
33% 1.62 0.61 %
33% 1.60 0.98 %
32% 1.56 1.04 %
31% 1.53 1.03 %
30% 1.43 1.40 %
29% 1.41 0.95 %
26% 1.29 0.56 %
26% 1.27 0.99 %
25% 1.19 2.80 %
24% 1.18 1.40 %
24% 1.17 1.07 %
23% 1.13 0.83 %
23% 1.13 0.69 %
22% 1.08 0.77 %
22% 1.05 0.80 %
21% 1.03 0.16 %
20% 0.97 0.61 %
19% 0.93 0.45 %
19% 0.92 1.03 %
19% 0.92 0.46 %
19% 0.92 0.40 %
19% 0.91 0.81 %
19% 0.90 0.39 %
18% 0.87 0.39 %
18% 0.87 0.75 %
16% 0.78 1.00 %
16% 0.76 0.39 %
15% 0.74 0.32 %
15% 0.72 1.03 %
15% 0.71 0.20 %
14% 0.66 0.56 %
13% 0.65 0.40 %
13% 0.64 0.53 %
13% 0.62 1.19 %
13% 0.61 0.57 %
12% 0.59 0.22 %
12% 0.58 0.82 %
12% 0.57 0.14 %
11% 0.51 0.42 %
10% 0.49 0.23 %
10% 0.48 0.26 %
9% 0.41 0.81 %
8% 0.40 0.19 %
8% 0.38 0.37 %
8% 0.38 0.28 %
8% 0.36 0.19 %
7% 0.34 0.17 %
7% 0.34 0.18 %
7% 0.34 0.88 %
6% 0.30 0.20 %
6% 0.30 0.07 %
6% 0.30 0.14 %
6% 0.29 0.27 %
6% 0.28 0.09 %
6% 0.28 0.09 %
6% 0.28 0.25 %
5% 0.26 0.08 %
5% 0.25 0.17 %
5% 0.24 0.22 %
4% 0.21 0.05 %
3% 0.16 0.16 %
3% 0.14 0.03 %
3% 0.14 0.06 %
3% 0.14 0.06 %
3% 0.14 0.11 %
3% 0.13 0.10 %
2% 0.12 0.08 %
2% 0.12 0.20 %
2% 0.10 0.06 %
1% 0.07 0.07 %
1% 0.06 0.05 %
1% 0.05 0.07 %
1% 0.04 0.04 %
1% 0.04 0.04 %

emissions per capita embedded in global trade

emissions are typically measured on the basis of ‘production’. This accounting method – which is sometimes referred to as ‘territorial’ emissions – is used when countries report their emissions, and set targets domestically and internationally. In addition to the commonly reported production-based emissions statisticians also calculate ‘consumption-based’ emissions. These emissions are adjusted for trade. To calculate consumption-based emissions, traded goods are tracked across the world, and whenever a good was imported all emissions that were emitted in the production of that good are also imported, and vice versa to subtract all emissions that were emitted in the production of goods that were exported.[9]

Consumption-based emissions reflect the consumption and lifestyle choices of a country's citizens. They are national or regional emissions that have been adjusted for trade, calculated as domestic (or ‘production-based’) emissions minus the emissions generated in the production of goods and services that are exported to other countries or regions, plus emissions from the production of goods and services that are imported.[10]

This is measured as the net import-export balance in tons of per year. Positive values represent netimporters of . Negative values represent net exporters of .[11]

The data in the following table is extracted from Our World in Data database.[12] Sorting is alphabetical by country code, according to ISO 3166-1 alpha-3.

Country / territory Production vs. consumption-based emissions per capita
(t/cap) 		emissions
embedded in
global trade
(t/cap)
1990 2005 2017 2020 2021 2020
P C P C P C P C P C C-P (C-P)/P (%) Net
% importer
% exporter
% exporter
% importer
% exporter
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% exporter
% exporter
% exporter
% importer
% exporter
% exporter
% importer
% exporter
% importer
% importer
% exporter
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% exporter
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% importer
% exporter
% importer
% importer
% exporter
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% importer
% importer
% exporter
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% exporter
% importer
% importer
% exporter
% importer
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% exporter
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% importer
% exporter
% importer
% importer
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% exporter
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% exporter
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% exporter
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% importer
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% exporter
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% exporter
% exporter
=
% exporter
% importer
% importer
World %
% exporter
% exporter
Asia (excl. China and India) % exporter
% importer
Europe (excl. EU-27) % exporter
Europe (excl. EU-28) % exporter
(27) % importer
(28) % importer
% importer
North America (excl. USA) % exporter
% exporter
% exporter
Low-income countries (UN) % exporter
Middle-income countries (UN)
Lower middle income % exporter
Upper middle income % exporter
% importer

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Crippa, M.; Guizzardi, D.; Pagani, F.; Banja, M.; Muntean, M.; Schaaf, E.; Monforti-Ferrario, F.; Becker, W.E.; Quadrelli, R.; Risquez Martin, A.; Taghavi-Moharamli, P.; Köykkä, J.; Grassi, G.; Rossi, S.; Melo, J.; Oom, D.; Branco, A.; San-Miguel, J.; Manca, G.; Pisoni, E.; Vignati, E.; Pekar, F. . GHG emissions of all world countries – 2024 . Publications Office of the European Union . Luxembourg . 2024 . 10.2760/4002897 . 2024-09-18.
  2. Benjamin . Quesada . Almut . Arneth . Eddy . Robertson . Nathalie . de Noblet-Ducoudré . Potential strong contribution of future anthropogenic land-use and land-cover change to the terrestrial carbon cycle . Environmental Research Letters . 2018 . 13 . 6 . 10.1088/1748-9326/aac4c3 . free . 2018ERL....13f4023Q . 2024-09-18.
  3. Schrooten . L . Inventory and forecasting of maritime emissions in the Belgian sea territory, an activity based emission model . Atmospheric Environment . 42 . 667–676 . 2008 . 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.09.071 . 2008AtmEn..42..667S . De Vlieger . Ina . Int Panis . Luc . Styns, R. Torfs . K . Torfs . R. 4 . 93958844 . 2024-09-18.
  4. Ritchie . Hannah . 2019 . How do CO2 emissions compare when we adjust for trade? . Our World in Data . 2024-09-18.
  5. Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis . IPCC . 978-92-9169-158-6 . IPCC . Summary for Policymakers . https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM_final.pdf . 2021.
  6. Grubb, M. . July–September 2003 . The economics of the Kyoto protocol . World Economics . 4 . 3 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110717152152/http://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/rstaff/grubb/publications/J36.pdf . 17 July 2011.
  7. Web site: Lerner & K. Lee Lerner . Brenda Wilmoth . 2006 . Environmental issues: essential primary sources . 11 September 2006 . Thomson Gale.
  8. Web site: 2018-11-15 . Are our water vapour emissions warming the climate? . 2024-09-18 . Physics World . en-GB.
  9. Web site: Hannah . Ritchie . How do CO2 emissions compare when we adjust for trade? . ourworldindata.org . . 2024-09-18.
  10. Web site: Are consumption-based CO₂ per capita emissions above or below the global average? 2020 . ourworldindata.org . . 2024-09-18.
  11. Web site: CO₂ emissions embedded in global trade . ourworldindata.org . . 2024-09-18.
  12. Web site: Production vs. consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita . ourworldindata.org . . 2024-09-18.

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