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Global Carbon Project · CO₂ Emissions per Capita
CO₂ emissions per person by country
How much carbon dioxide does each person's share of a country emit?
Of the 210 countries compared in 2024, DR Congo had the lowest reading, 0.0540, and Qatar had the highest reading, 41.2713. In the middle country the figure was 3.2100. Among the 172 countries measured in every edition since 1950, the middle one moved from 0.5405 to 3.4305.
CO₂ emissions per person · 2024
Key statistic · Environment & Sustainability
Lowest of 210DR Congo
0.0540012024 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the lowest end of 210 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Christina Bergey derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2Photo: Tequendamia · CC0, greyscale
3
02Every measured country
CO₂ emissions per person on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a lower value — the better end.
- 6.7688–41.2713
- 4.0852–6.6676
- 2.2170–3.9831
- 0.6241–2.2010
- 0.0540–0.6106
- No reading in 2024
- Africa
0.4419
the middle country, of 54 measured · 55 members
DR Congo0.0540
Libya8.8416Lowest and highest reading in Africa.
- Oceania
2.4155
the middle country, of 18 measured · 21 members
Solomon Islands0.3597
New Caledonia18.0654Lowest and highest reading in Oceania.
- Americas
3.3695
the middle country, of 44 measured · 48 members
Haiti0.2523
Trinidad and Tobago22.9319Lowest and highest reading in Americas.
- Asia
3.7361
the middle country, of 51 measured · 52 members
Yemen0.2494
Qatar41.2713Lowest and highest reading in Asia.
- Europe
5.0879
the middle country, of 43 measured · 49 members
Albania1.5920
Faroe Islands13.0936Lowest and highest reading in Europe.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, lowest middle country first
- Eastern Africa
0.2294
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Burundi0.0653
Seychelles5.0037Lowest and highest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Western Africa
0.2901
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Niger0.1173
Cabo Verde1.1313Lowest and highest reading in Western Africa.
- Middle Africa
0.5895
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
DR Congo0.0540
Equatorial Guinea3.7043Lowest and highest reading in Middle Africa.
- Melanesia
0.7891
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Solomon Islands0.3597New Caledonia18.0654Lowest and highest reading in Melanesia.
- Southern Asia
0.9014
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Afghanistan0.2538
Iran8.6562Lowest and highest reading in Southern Asia.
- Southern Africa
1.1449
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Eswatini0.8405
South Africa6.8716Lowest and highest reading in Southern Africa.
- Central America
1.5617
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Nicaragua0.8141
Mexico3.5227Lowest and highest reading in Central America.
- Polynesia
2.3695
the middle country, of 6 measured · 7 members
Samoa1.1264
Cook Islands5.8332Lowest and highest reading in Polynesia.
- Northern Africa
2.4388
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Sudan0.3527Libya8.8416Lowest and highest reading in Northern Africa.
- South America
2.4449
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Paraguay1.1454
Guyana5.4270Lowest and highest reading in South America.
- South-eastern Asia
3.1403
the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members
Timor-Leste0.4770
Brunei26.0469Lowest and highest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Central Asia
3.8291
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Tajikistan1.0141
Kazakhstan13.9374Lowest and highest reading in Central Asia.
- Micronesia
4.1142
the middle country, of 5 measured · 7 members
Kiribati0.5386
Palau12.7776Lowest and highest reading in Micronesia.
- Southern Europe
4.7714
the middle country, of 14 measured · 17 members
Albania1.5920
Serbia6.2378Lowest and highest reading in Southern Europe.
- Eastern Europe
4.9811
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Moldova1.7552
Russia12.2947Lowest and highest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Caribbean
5.2112
the middle country, of 20 measured · 24 members
Haiti0.2523Trinidad and Tobago22.9319Lowest and highest reading in Caribbean.
- Western Asia
5.2242
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Yemen0.2494Qatar41.2713Lowest and highest reading in Western Asia.
- Northern Europe
5.3006
the middle country, of 11 measured · 13 members
Latvia3.4521Faroe Islands13.0936Lowest and highest reading in Northern Europe.
- Western Europe
6.2385
the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members
Liechtenstein3.3013
Luxembourg10.4597Lowest and highest reading in Western Europe.
- Eastern Asia
8.2154
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Macau1.4666
Mongolia12.8596Lowest and highest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
New Zealand6.2293
Australia14.4772Lowest and highest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Northern America
4 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, United States.
Bermuda8.5092
United States14.1973Lowest and highest reading in Northern America.
03The whole field at once
The spread
210 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 3.2100; a quarter are above 5.9801, and a quarter below 0.9294. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 210 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first — position 1 is the highest value, the way Global Carbon Project’s own tables read. “=” marks a position shared with another country. Global Carbon Project ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. Read it beside the Ecological Footprint on the same topic. This counts emissions at the chimney; the footprint counts the consumption behind them, and the two disagree most for countries that import their manufactured goods.
Showing 25 of 210 countries
Values for 2024. The change column compares 2024 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051950–2024 · 75 editions
Over time
Each point is one year. A fall can mean cleaner energy, a recession, or industry moving abroad — the value counts emissions where the fuel is burned, so a country can cut its own figure by importing what it used to make.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 172 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 210 | 3.2100 | 0.9294 – 5.9801 | 3.4305 |
| 2023 | 210 | 3.1454 | 0.9063 – 5.7625 | 3.4541 |
| 2022 | 210 | 3.1623 | 0.9230 – 6.2285 | 3.3709 |
| 2021 | 210 | 3.0870 | 0.9437 – 6.4627 | 3.2683 |
| 2020 | 210 | 2.9026 | 0.9078 – 5.6116 | 3.1545 |
| 2019 | 210 | 3.2734 | 0.9342 – 6.3853 | 3.3224 |
| 2018 | 210 | 3.0364 | 0.8754 – 6.6118 | 3.1775 |
| 2017 | 210 | 3.0491 | 0.8414 – 6.5968 | 3.3384 |
| 2016 | 210 | 2.8940 | 0.8179 – 6.5224 | 3.1252 |
| 2015 | 210 | 2.8464 | 0.7764 – 6.4778 | 3.3098 |
| 2014 | 210 | 2.9194 | 0.7334 – 6.6408 | 3.2962 |
| 2013 | 210 | 2.7790 | 0.7181 – 7.1019 | 3.2735 |
| 2012 | 210 | 2.7698 | 0.7332 – 6.8281 | 3.3328 |
| 2011 | 210 | 2.7477 | 0.7472 – 7.0414 | 3.1602 |
| 2010 | 210 | 2.8116 | 0.7418 – 7.1512 | 3.1325 |
| 2009 | 210 | 2.7991 | 0.7663 – 7.0582 | 3.1046 |
| 2008 | 210 | 2.9788 | 0.7630 – 7.2507 | 3.2863 |
| 2007 | 210 | 2.5927 | 0.7683 – 7.3212 | 3.1927 |
| 2006 | 210 | 2.8647 | 0.7372 – 7.6531 | 3.2415 |
| 2005 | 210 | 2.8849 | 0.7761 – 7.6250 | 3.2778 |
| 2004 | 210 | 2.8017 | 0.7438 – 7.4572 | 3.1886 |
| 2003 | 210 | 2.9178 | 0.7606 – 7.3676 | 3.0234 |
| 2002 | 210 | 2.7850 | 0.7423 – 7.2728 | 2.9242 |
| 2001 | 210 | 2.7260 | 0.7569 – 7.1472 | 2.9608 |
| 2000 | 210 | 2.6615 | 0.6781 – 7.1214 | 2.8963 |
| 1999 | 210 | 2.4515 | 0.6451 – 6.8728 | 2.7794 |
| 1998 | 210 | 2.2499 | 0.6418 – 6.6521 | 2.6392 |
| 1997 | 210 | 2.3119 | 0.5469 – 6.7840 | 2.9640 |
| 1996 | 210 | 2.2339 | 0.5039 – 7.0153 | 2.8801 |
| 1995 | 210 | 2.1173 | 0.4633 – 6.7174 | 2.7886 |
| 1994 | 210 | 2.1686 | 0.4815 – 6.7996 | 2.7275 |
| 1993 | 207 | 2.3976 | 0.4849 – 6.9304 | 2.7322 |
| 1992 | 207 | 2.3069 | 0.4718 – 6.7932 | 2.6847 |
| 1991 | 204 | 2.4175 | 0.4402 – 7.0539 | 2.5970 |
| 1990 | 203 | 2.5670 | 0.4438 – 7.5300 | 2.8068 |
| 1989 | 197 | 2.7162 | 0.4993 – 7.2966 | 2.7935 |
| 1988 | 197 | 2.3199 | 0.4944 – 7.3666 | 2.7614 |
| 1987 | 197 | 2.4332 | 0.4735 – 7.2498 | 2.5847 |
| 1986 | 197 | 2.3366 | 0.4570 – 7.3156 | 2.6111 |
| 1985 | 197 | 2.3327 | 0.4766 – 7.3540 | 2.6929 |
| 1984 | 197 | 2.1549 | 0.4790 – 7.2667 | 2.5555 |
| 1983 | 197 | 2.2430 | 0.4458 – 6.9801 | 2.6156 |
| 1982 | 197 | 1.9529 | 0.4517 – 7.2759 | 2.5098 |
| 1981 | 197 | 2.0847 | 0.4476 – 7.5754 | 2.4340 |
| 1980 | 197 | 2.0001 | 0.4666 – 7.7307 | 2.4038 |
| 1979 | 197 | 2.1313 | 0.4780 – 8.1164 | 2.4694 |
| 1978 | 197 | 1.9592 | 0.4183 – 7.6669 | 2.4618 |
| 1977 | 197 | 1.9390 | 0.4041 – 7.4023 | 2.3875 |
| 1976 | 197 | 1.9705 | 0.3911 – 7.3084 | 2.3121 |
| 1975 | 197 | 1.6950 | 0.3987 – 7.2012 | 2.2687 |
| 1974 | 197 | 1.7003 | 0.3780 – 7.0650 | 2.1917 |
| 1973 | 197 | 1.6589 | 0.3896 – 7.0149 | 2.2807 |
| 1972 | 197 | 1.7736 | 0.3747 – 6.5063 | 2.1762 |
| 1971 | 196 | 1.6929 | 0.3502 – 6.7267 | 1.9968 |
| 1970 | 195 | 1.5633 | 0.3583 – 6.6203 | 1.7855 |
| 1969 | 193 | 1.3807 | 0.3328 – 5.7150 | 1.7891 |
| 1968 | 192 | 1.4609 | 0.2738 – 5.2599 | 1.7307 |
| 1967 | 192 | 1.2498 | 0.2504 – 5.0581 | 1.5644 |
| 1966 | 192 | 1.1510 | 0.2381 – 4.3422 | 1.3234 |
| 1965 | 192 | 0.9708 | 0.2283 – 4.2522 | 1.2942 |
| 1964 | 192 | 0.9064 | 0.2140 – 4.1088 | 1.2138 |
| 1963 | 189 | 0.8648 | 0.2029 – 3.7367 | 1.2267 |
| 1962 | 188 | 0.9606 | 0.1949 – 3.7951 | 1.1818 |
| 1961 | 186 | 0.8563 | 0.1637 – 3.5424 | 1.1130 |
| 1960 | 185 | 0.8598 | 0.1616 – 3.4145 | 1.0401 |
| 1959 | 185 | 0.7301 | 0.1538 – 3.0853 | 0.9895 |
| 1958 | 180 | 0.7963 | 0.1502 – 3.1474 | 0.8576 |
| 1957 | 180 | 0.7728 | 0.1406 – 3.2587 | 0.8776 |
| 1956 | 180 | 0.7155 | 0.1321 – 3.3616 | 0.7973 |
| 1955 | 180 | 0.6389 | 0.1263 – 3.0422 | 0.7258 |
| 1954 | 177 | 0.5683 | 0.1136 – 2.8120 | 0.6370 |
| 1953 | 176 | 0.4543 | 0.1121 – 2.6565 | 0.5051 |
| 1952 | 176 | 0.4241 | 0.1177 – 2.6144 | 0.4786 |
| 1951 | 175 | 0.4705 | 0.1097 – 2.3520 | 0.5019 |
| 1950 | 173 | 0.5395 | 0.1105 – 2.2126 | 0.5405 |
062023 → 2024
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → after
Turkmenistan12.9570 → 10.8087 · 16th → 23rd−2.1483- Brunei27.2420 → 26.0469 · 2nd → 3rd−1.1951
- Trinidad and Tobago23.6444 → 22.9319 · 5th → 5th−0.7125
Czechia7.6998 → 7.0440 · 36th → 40th−0.6558
Canada13.8802 → 13.4199 · 14th → 14th−0.4603
Worsened most
before → after- Qatar40.1279 → 41.2713 · 1st → 1st+1.1433
Kuwait25.4545 → 26.2475 · 3rd → 2nd+0.7930
Iceland9.0522 → 9.6671 · 26th → 26th+0.6150- New Caledonia17.4837 → 18.0654 · 8th → 8th+0.5817
- Palau12.1966 → 12.7776 · 18th → 17th+0.5810
210 countries were measured in both 2023 and 2024.
07Across every edition
CO₂ emissions per person in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
792.9811
Fossil CO₂ (tonnes per person)
Lowest reading on record
Reached 14 times by 4 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0.0000
Fossil CO₂ (tonnes per person)
Global Carbon Project · 1951, 1952, 1953, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
Biggest improvement between editions
−316.0138
693.1851 → 377.1713
Biggest decline between editions
+379.0677
413.9134 → 792.9811
Most improved since first measured
−454.1885
470.7431 → 16.5547
At the top most often
15 of 75
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About CO₂ emissions per person
This is how much carbon dioxide a country emits from burning fossil fuels and making cement, divided by how many people live there. The Global Carbon Project has compiled it every year since the 1950s and it is the number most climate comparisons rest on.
What the number is: Fossil CO₂ (tonnes per person).
What it does not measure
It counts fossil fuels and cement only, so a country that clears forest rather than burning coal reads low here. It also counts emissions where the fuel is burned rather than where the goods are used, so moving a factory abroad lowers a country's figure without lowering the world's.
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
A key statistic for Environment & Sustainability
“How much carbon dioxide a country's own fuel burning puts into the air for each person living there.”
- Edition used
- 2024 (data 2024)
- Countries
- 210
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
Moves with
Where CO₂ emissions per person is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Primary Energy Consumption per CapitaEIA · 190 countries in commonρ 0.96
- GNI per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 102 countries in commonρ 0.90
- Ecological FootprintKeyGlobal Footprint Network · 126 countries in commonρ 0.87
Moves against
Where CO₂ emissions per person is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 103 countries in commonρ −0.85
- Working Poverty RateILO · 113 countries in commonρ −0.82
- Self-Employment RateILO · 178 countries in commonρ −0.82
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 190 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
11Questions
CO₂ emissions per person: questions and answers
Which country has the lowest CO₂ emissions per person?
DR Congo, at 0.0540, among the 210 countries compared in 2024.
Which country has the highest CO₂ emissions per person?
Qatar, at 41.2713, among the 210 countries compared in 2024.
How many countries does the CO₂ Emissions per Capita cover?
210 in 2024. The number measured varies from 173 to 210 between editions.
What is the world average CO₂ emissions per person?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 210 compared in 2024, the figure was 3.2100.
Is this Global Carbon Project’s own ranking?
No. Global Carbon Project publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the CO₂ Emissions per Capita published?
This site holds 75 editions, describing 1950 to 2024.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From Global Carbon Project, under CC BY 4.0. From the Global Carbon Project's own Zenodo deposit — the archive the Project publishes itself, not a redistributor's copy. The per-capita values are the Project's, not recomputed here. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
CO₂ Emissions per Capita — Global Carbon Project
From the Global Carbon Project's own Zenodo deposit — the archive the Project publishes itself, not a redistributor's copy. The per-capita values are the Project's, not recomputed here.
Newest edition
Report year 2024Data year 2024
Cite the source as: Andrew, R. M., & Peters, G. P. (2025). The Global Carbon Project's fossil CO2 emissions dataset (2025v15) [Data set]. Zenodo.
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-09-25.
How this page reads the numbers
- Global Carbon Project ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- DR Congo — Christina Bergey derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Burundi — Tequendamia, CC0
- Somalia — AMISOM, CC0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). CO₂ emissions per person by country: CO₂ Emissions per Capita, data from Global Carbon Project. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/co2-per-capita