Top 100 Countries by Annual CO₂ Emissions per Capita, 2025

by StatRanker December 15, 2025 2296 60 min read

Climate · Energy · CO₂ Emissions

CO₂ emissions per capita divide a country's annual territorial CO₂ output from fossil fuels and industry by its population. This normalisation partly corrects for country size — but not entirely. A small state with a large energy-intensive industry will always rank higher than a densely populated giant with the same total emissions. Understanding why a country ranks where it does requires looking beyond the number itself.

Data source: EDGAR Community GHG Database v2024 (JRC / IEA), latest full year 2023. The global average in 2023 was 4.86 t CO₂ per person. Top-ranked economies exceed this by a factor of 8–13; the poorest countries fall below 0.3 t.

Indicator: CO₂ per capita (t/person) Coverage: countries & territories Data year: 2023 (EDGAR v2024) Scope: territorial (production-based) emissions

Figures cover fossil fuel combustion and cement manufacture CO₂ only. Land-use change (LULUCF) and international aviation/shipping are excluded. All values are rounded for readability.

Top 10: The highest CO₂ per capita economies

The top of the ranking is consistently dominated by Gulf hydrocarbon exporters, small territories with energy-intensive industries, and high-income fossil-fuel-dependent economies such as Australia and Canada. The common thread: fossil-fuel dependence, relatively small populations, and high energy intensity of GDP.

#1Palau

Oceania · Small island territory

CO₂ per capita: 62.59 t/person

Palau's extraordinarily high figure reflects a statistical artefact: a population of roughly 18,000 people divided into an energy sector sized for tourism-driven demand. The value has already fallen sharply since 2000 (−43%), largely due to fuel-switching and efficiency improvements.

#2Qatar

Middle East · Hydrocarbon exporter

CO₂ per capita: 43.55 t/person

A massive oil-and-gas sector, energy-intensive desalination, and year-round air conditioning in an extreme climate — all concentrated in a population of under 3 million. The figure has actually declined from a peak of 53.6 t in 2000 (−19%) as diversification and efficiency measures take effect.

#3Kuwait

Middle East · Oil producer

CO₂ per capita: 24.90 t/person

Electricity generation is almost entirely oil- and gas-fired, and subsidised petrol sustains very high vehicle-based consumption. The modest decline since 2000 (−6%) reflects slow progress on energy efficiency.

#4Brunei

Southeast Asia · LNG exporter

CO₂ per capita: 21.12 t/person

Oil-and-gas export dominates an economy of roughly 450,000 people. Emissions have grown since 2000 (+16%) as production expansion has outpaced population growth.

#5New Caledonia

Oceania · French territory

CO₂ per capita: 20.90 t/person

Home to some of the world's largest nickel reserves and energy-intensive smelting operations, with a population of only ~290,000. Emissions have more than doubled since 2000 (+105%) as mining and metallurgy expanded.

#6Bahrain

Middle East · Oil refining & aluminium

CO₂ per capita: 20.70 t/person

ALBA, one of the world's largest single-site aluminium smelters, and major oil-refining capacity generate the bulk of Bahrain's territorial emissions for a population of ~1.5 million.

#7United Arab Emirates

Middle East · Hub & hydrocarbon exporter

CO₂ per capita: 20.22 t/person

A combination of oil-and-gas production, aviation hub, tourism, and high living standards. The figure has declined from 28 t in 2000 (−28%) as renewable and nuclear capacity has grown significantly, particularly in Abu Dhabi.

#8Trinidad and Tobago

Caribbean · Petrochemicals

CO₂ per capita: 19.71 t/person

Oil refining and petrochemical complexes concentrated in a small island population (~1.4 million). Emissions have grown since 2000 (+31%), reflecting export-oriented industrial expansion.

#9Gibraltar

Europe · British Overseas Territory

CO₂ per capita: 19.67 t/person

Bunkering fuel for the shipping lane and a large port divided by a resident population of only ~32,000 drives an extremely high per-capita figure. Global absolute emissions are negligible; this is a classic "small denominator" effect.

#10Saudi Arabia

Middle East · Largest OPEC producer

CO₂ per capita: 17.15 t/person

The world's largest OPEC oil producer, with large domestic fuel subsidies and intense air-conditioning demand. Emissions have risen since 2000 (+34%) driven by industrial expansion. Vision 2030 targets a meaningful reduction in carbon intensity by 2030.

Table 1. Top 10 countries by CO₂ emissions per capita, 2023

Rank	Country / Territory	CO₂ per capita (t/person, 2023)	Change since 2000
1	Palau	62.59	−43%
2	Qatar	43.55	−19%
3	Kuwait	24.90	−6%
4	Brunei	21.12	+16%
5	New Caledonia	20.90	+105%
6	Bahrain	20.70	−23%
7	United Arab Emirates	20.22	−28%
8	Trinidad and Tobago	19.71	+31%
9	Gibraltar	19.67	+80%
10	Saudi Arabia	17.15	+34%

Source: EDGAR Community GHG Database v2024 (JRC/IEA). Data year: 2023.

Chart 1. CO₂ emissions per capita — Top 20 economies, 2023

Values from EDGAR 2023. World average: 4.86 t CO₂/person. Bar chart is sorted from highest to lowest.

Next: Full Top-100 table → ↑ Back to top

How the top 100 CO₂ per capita economies are distributed in 2025

Beyond the top 10, the picture becomes far more diverse. Rich diversified economies — Canada, Australia, the United States, Russia — remain high due to carbon-intensive energy and transport. Fast-growing China is approaching the levels of many Western European countries. Meanwhile the largest developing economies — India, Indonesia, Brazil — remain well below the world average, demonstrating that absolute emission totals and per-capita levels tell very different stories.

World average (2023): 4.86 t CO₂/person | The "% of avg" toggle shows each country's value as a percentage of the world mean.

Table 2. Top 100 countries and territories by CO₂ emissions per capita, 2023

Source: EDGAR Community GHG Database v2024 (JRC/IEA). Territorial CO₂ from fossil fuels and cement.

Rank ↕	Country / Territory ↕	CO₂ per capita ↕	Region	Income	Change vs 2000
1	Palau	62.591,287%	Oceania	Upper-mid.	−43%
2	Qatar	43.55896%	MENA	High	−19%
3	Kuwait	24.90512%	MENA	High	−6%
4	Brunei	21.12435%	Asia	High	+16%
5	New Caledonia	20.90430%	Oceania	High	+105%
6	Bahrain	20.70426%	MENA	High	−23%
7	United Arab Emirates	20.22416%	MENA	High	−28%
8	Trinidad and Tobago	19.71406%	Caribbean	High	+31%
9	Gibraltar	19.67405%	Europe	High	+80%
10	Saudi Arabia	17.15353%	MENA	High	+34%
11	Oman	17.11352%	MENA	High	+47%
12	Canada	14.91307%	Americas	High	−16%
13	Curaçao	14.66302%	Caribbean	High	−66%
14	Russia	14.45297%	Europe	Upper-mid.	+26%
15	Australia	14.21293%	Oceania	High	−23%
16	United States	13.83285%	Americas	High	−34%
17	Seychelles	12.76263%	Africa	Upper-mid.	+36%
18	Kazakhstan	12.43256%	Asia	Upper-mid.	+42%
19	Taiwan	11.68240%	Asia	High	+7%
20	Luxembourg	11.18230%	Europe	High	−45%
21	South Korea	11.04227%	Asia	High	+10%
22	Turkmenistan	10.51216%	Asia	Lower-mid.	+21%
23	Greenland	10.21210%	Americas	High	—
24	Singapore	9.38193%	Asia	High	−19%
25	China	9.24190%	Asia	Upper-mid.	+223%
26	Iran	9.10187%	MENA	Lower-mid.	+70%
27	Libya	8.88183%	Africa	Upper-mid.	−3%
28	Estonia	8.87183%	Europe	High	−29%
29	Iceland	8.79181%	Europe	High	−14%
30	Czechia	8.52175%	Europe	High	−34%
31	Mongolia	8.45174%	Asia	Lower-mid.	+124%
32	Cook Islands	8.37172%	Oceania	Upper-mid.	+149%
33	Malaysia	8.30171%	Asia	Upper-mid.	+47%
34	Norway	7.86162%	Europe	High	−15%
35	Poland	7.63157%	Europe	High	−6%
36	Japan	7.54155%	Asia	High	−23%
37	New Zealand	7.22149%	Oceania	High	−15%
38	Belgium	7.18148%	Europe	High	−41%
39	Netherlands	7.09146%	Europe	High	−36%
40	Germany	7.06145%	Europe	High	−34%
41	Austria	6.65137%	Europe	High	−20%
42	South Africa	6.56135%	Africa	Upper-mid.	−14%
43	Ireland	6.50134%	Europe	High	−43%
44	Falkland Islands	6.48133%	Americas	High	+160%
45	Slovakia	6.40132%	Europe	High	−17%
46	Bosnia and Herzegovina	6.33130%	Europe	Upper-mid.	+67%
47	Maldives	6.00124%	Asia	Upper-mid.	+165%
48	Bulgaria	5.86121%	Europe	Upper-mid.	−3%
49	Bermuda	5.84120%	Caribbean	High	+149%
50	Cyprus	5.83120%	Europe	High	−23%
51	Slovenia	5.81119%	Europe	High	−23%
52	Belarus	5.79119%	Europe	Upper-mid.	+2%
53	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	5.73118%	Americas	High	+105%
54	Finland	5.73118%	Europe	High	−48%
55	Cayman Islands	5.42112%	Caribbean	High	+72%
56	Italy	5.19107%	Europe	High	−35%
57	Turkey	5.13106%	Europe	Upper-mid.	+43%
58	Aruba	4.91101%	Caribbean	High	+66%
59	Greece	4.6997%	Europe	High	−46%
60	Spain	4.6896%	Europe	High	−39%
61	Lithuania	4.6696%	Europe	High	+40%
62	Hungary	4.6195%	Europe	High	−21%
63	Denmark	4.5694%	Europe	High	−54%
64	Hong Kong SAR	4.5193%	Asia	High	−28%
65	Chile	4.4592%	Americas	High	+26%
66	Suriname	4.4592%	Americas	Upper-mid.	+42%
67	Macao SAR	4.4291%	Asia	High	+28%
68	United Kingdom	4.4291%	Europe	High	−53%
69	Croatia	4.3189%	Europe	High	−1%
70	Iraq	4.3088%	MENA	Upper-mid.	+14%
71	Serbia	4.2888%	Europe	Upper-mid.	−2%
72	French Polynesia	4.2788%	Oceania	High	+41%
73	France	4.2587%	Europe	High	−37%
74	North Macedonia	4.1986%	Europe	Upper-mid.	−6%
75	Azerbaijan	4.1485%	Asia	Upper-mid.	+17%
76	Israel	4.1385%	MENA	High	−36%
77	Guyana	4.1185%	Americas	Upper-mid.	+86%
78	Bahamas	4.0483%	Caribbean	High	+21%
79	Uzbekistan	4.0183%	Asia	Lower-mid.	−24%
80	Algeria	3.9982%	Africa	Lower-mid.	+42%
81	Thailand	3.9481%	Asia	Upper-mid.	+42%
82	Argentina	3.9381%	Americas	Upper-mid.	+7%
83	Switzerland	3.8780%	Europe	High	−38%
84	Malta	3.8579%	Europe	High	−28%
85	Puerto Rico	3.8078%	Americas	High	−43%
86	Romania	3.7076%	Europe	High	−16%
87	Vietnam	3.6976%	Asia	Lower-mid.	+424%
88	Portugal	3.5874%	Europe	High	−43%
89	Latvia	3.5673%	Europe	High	+17%
90	Mexico	3.5272%	Americas	Upper-mid.	−10%
91	Laos	3.4972%	Asia	Lower-mid.	+1,892%
92	Sweden	3.4371%	Europe	High	−47%
93	Georgia	3.3369%	Asia	Upper-mid.	+202%
94	Mauritius	3.2968%	Africa	Upper-mid.	+60%
95	Panama	3.2968%	Americas	Upper-mid.	+92%
96	Ukraine	3.1765%	Europe	Lower-mid.	−57%
97	Lebanon	3.0062%	MENA	Lower-mid.	−37%
98	Antigua and Barbuda	2.9962%	Caribbean	High	+85%
99	Botswana	2.9360%	Africa	Upper-mid.	+23%
100	Martinique	2.8358%	Caribbean	High	n/a

Source: EDGAR Community GHG Database v2024 (JRC / IEA), year 2023. World average: 4.86 t CO₂/person. All figures rounded for readability.

Figure 2. CO₂ per capita vs. GDP per capita (PPP) — selected economies

The correlation between income and emissions is real but far from mechanical. High-income economies with clean electricity grids (France, Sweden, Switzerland) sit well below the expected trendline. Hydrocarbon exporters (Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia) spike far above it. China, despite massive renewable investment, still exceeds many European peers due to its coal-heavy power sector.

X-axis: GDP per capita (PPP, thousand constant 2021 int'l dollars, ~2024 data). Y-axis: CO₂ per capita (t/person, EDGAR 2023). Each dot represents one country.

Next: Analysis, methodology and FAQ → ↑ Back to table

What the 2025 CO₂ per capita ranking reveals about the global energy system

The ranking reveals three structurally distinct clusters. The first — Gulf hydrocarbon micro-states and small territories with concentrated heavy industry — sit 5 to 13 times above the world average. Their high values reflect oil-and-gas extraction, refining, and export concentrated in small populations, not primarily household lifestyles.

The second cluster — wealthy diversified economies (Australia, Canada, the United States, Russia) — ranges from 10 to 15 t/person. Their carbon intensity is driven by a combination of large distances, car-dependent transport, coal or gas power generation, and high consumption levels. The spread within this group is largely explained by the electricity mix: France, with ~75% nuclear generation, emits 4.25 t/person — half of Germany's 7.06 t, which long relied on coal.

The third cluster — large emerging markets: China (~9.2 t), Iran (~9.1 t), Malaysia (~8.3 t), Thailand (~3.9 t), India (~2.0 t), Indonesia (~1.9 t). Their position in the ranking depends heavily on the coal-to-gas ratio in their power sector. China, despite massive renewable investment, still exceeds many European countries because of coal-fired generation. India and Indonesia remain well below the world average in per-capita terms — yet their absolute emission totals are enormous due to population size.

A defining trend of the past two decades is sharp per-capita declines across most rich countries: Germany −34%, the United Kingdom −53%, Denmark −54%, Finland −48%. This reflects simultaneous transitions to renewables, energy-efficiency improvements, and partial deindustrialisation. The reverse pattern holds in several developing and resource economies: Vietnam +424%, Iran +70%, Kazakhstan +42%, Mongolia +124%.

Methodology: how this ranking is constructed

Data source

Primary source: EDGAR Community GHG Database v2024 (JRC/IEA), data year 2023. This is the most comprehensive and consistently harmonised international dataset for CO₂ emissions across countries and territories.
Cross-verification: Our World in Data (Global Carbon Budget 2025 v15, Global Carbon Project), Global Carbon Project materials, UNFCCC national inventory submissions, and World Bank indicator series where available.

What "emissions" means here

CO₂ from fossil fuel combustion and cement manufacture — territorial (production-based) accounting. Land-use change (LULUCF) is excluded.
Emissions from international aviation and maritime shipping are not attributed to any individual country and are excluded from national figures.

How the indicator is calculated

CO₂ per capita = total territorial CO₂ of the country ÷ national population.
The "% of world average" toggle computes (country value ÷ 4.86) × 100.

Key limitations

Territorial accounting does not capture where produced goods are ultimately consumed. This matters for trade-oriented economies: a country importing carbon-intensive goods will look cleaner than one producing equivalent goods domestically.
For small territories and island states, a single industrial facility or major port can dominate per-capita figures — making cross-country lifestyle comparisons misleading.
2023 is the latest full-year EDGAR release used here for consistent cross-country comparison in the 2025 edition.

Key insights for readers

"High rank" does not mean "worst environmental actor." It means a country's industry or energy system produces a lot of CO₂ per resident. The reasons vary enormously: hydrocarbon exports, coal-fired power, remote geography, fuel subsidies, or industrial specialisation. Using per-capita rankings as a moral score misreads what the data measures.

Power-sector decarbonisation is the highest-leverage action. Countries that have cut per-capita emissions most sharply (the UK, Denmark, Finland, Germany) did so primarily by shifting to renewables and gas in electricity generation. This is a multiplier: a clean grid reduces emissions not just in power but in industry and transport as electrification expands.

Consumption vs. production accounting. If a country imports steel, cement or chemicals rather than producing them domestically, its territorial emissions look lower — but the climate impact of that consumption does not disappear. Consumption-based (trade-adjusted) accounts are a useful complement for understanding demand-side responsibility.

The small-denominator effect. Extreme values in Palau, Gibraltar, and New Caledonia are driven by a single industrial sector or port complex divided by a tiny population. These data points are useful as illustrations of concentrated industry, but they are not comparable to typical national lifestyle footprints.

FAQ

Why can CO₂ per capita be extremely high in small countries or territories?

Total emissions from oil refining, aluminium smelting, or port bunkering are divided by a very small resident population. In absolute terms these territories are irrelevant to global climate, but on a per-person basis they dominate the ranking. It is a denominator effect, not evidence of extraordinarily carbon-intensive lifestyles.

Which matters more for climate — per capita or total emissions?

Global warming is driven by cumulative and annual absolute totals (China, the United States, India, EU). Per-capita figures are most useful for discussions of fairness, structural change over time, and comparing the carbon intensity of different economic models — not for assessing who causes the most warming.

Does exporting goods affect a country's per-capita ranking?

Yes. Territorial (production-based) accounting records emissions where they physically occur. If a country exports steel or petrochemicals, the emissions from producing them stay in its national figures — even if the goods are consumed abroad. Consumption-based accounting adjusts for this trade flow.

Why is France so much lower than Germany despite similar GDP levels?

Around 75% of France's electricity is nuclear, producing minimal CO₂. Germany long relied on coal; even after significant coal phase-out, its per-capita figure (7.06 t) remains well above France's (4.25 t). The electricity mix is the dominant explanatory variable within the group of high-income European economies.

Why is Norway (~7.9 t) higher than Switzerland (~3.9 t) despite being wealthy and having a large sovereign wealth fund from oil?

Norway's territorial emissions include domestic oil-and-gas industry consumption and industrial processes. Switzerland runs on mostly hydro and nuclear electricity and has limited heavy industry. If consumption-based emissions were used, the gap would narrow, as Norway exports the carbon-intensive oil and attributes only domestic processing.

What is EDGAR and how does it differ from national GHG inventories?

EDGAR is a modelled database produced by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, providing globally consistent estimates for ~200 countries using a uniform methodology. National inventories submitted to the UNFCCC are more detailed for Annex I parties but vary in methodology and are not directly comparable across all countries. EDGAR is preferred for cross-country rankings precisely because of its methodological consistency.

Primary data sources and technical notes

Figures are compiled from openly available international datasets, harmonised and rounded for comparability. For formal statistical or policy work, always refer back to the original databases and accompanying methodological documentation.

EDGAR Community GHG Database v2024 — JRC / IEA (primary source)
European Commission database providing CO₂ and GHG estimates for all countries 1970–2023 using a consistent global methodology.
edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/report_2024
Our World in Data — CO₂ and GHG Emissions dataset (Global Carbon Budget 2025 v15)
Harmonised per-capita series from 1750 to present, based on Global Carbon Project data.
github.com/owid/co2-data
Global Carbon Project — Global Carbon Budget (GCB 2025, v15)
The core scientific synthesis of territorial and consumption-based CO₂ emissions globally.
globalcarbonproject.org/carbonbudget/
UNFCCC — National Inventory Submissions (Annex I parties)
Official national GHG inventories for Annex I member states. Used for verification of European economy figures.
unfccc.int/ghg-inventories-annex-i-parties/2025
World Bank — EN.ATM.CO2E.PC (CO₂ emissions per capita)
Additional cross-check source for individual country values.
data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.PC
World Bank — GDP per capita, PPP (scatter chart context)
GDP per capita, PPP, constant 2021 international dollars.
data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD

All figures in tables and charts are approximate and rounded for clarity. For formal statistical work, refer to the underlying source databases and methodological notes.

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