Which country has the highest co2 emissions per person?

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Fact-checked by Sid Natividad

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Updated on 8 August 2024

A global ranking of CO2 emissions by country, measured by metric tons per capita, using the latest data available from the World Bank.

A power station and clouds of CO2 emissions — Carbon dioxide emissions largely come from burning fossil fuels (Shutterstock)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted as a result of human activity. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and fluorinated gases trap heat and make the Earth warmer.

The 10 Worst Countries

These countries emit the most CO2 per capita.

Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Bahrain
Kuwait
Brunei
Trinidad and Tobago
Saudi Arabia
New Caledonia
Oman
Australia

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the atmosphere as part of the Earth’s natural circulation of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, soil, plants, and animals.

However, human activity – especially fossil-fuel combustion – is responsible for virtually all of the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over the last 150 years.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) accounts for the most significant share of greenhouse gases, which are associated with global warming and climate change. Emissions largely originate from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacture of cement.

The data from the World Bank does come with a caveat. The carbon dioxide emissions of a country per capita are only an indicator of one greenhouse gas.

For a more comprehensive view of how a country and its population impact climate change, gases such as methane and nitrous oxide should also be considered. This is especially relevant in agricultural economies.

CO2 emissions by country measured by metric tons per capita

CO2 Emissions by Country – Complete Ranking

The table and map below ranks the world’s countries by CO2 emissions by metric tons per capita (1t = 1,000kg / 2,205lb).

Some countries may have been omitted due to insufficient data.

Rank	Country	Co2 Emissions
1	Qatar	37.6
2	United Arab Emirates	25.8
3	Bahrain	25.7
4	Kuwait	25.6
5	Brunei	24.0
6	Trinidad and Tobago	22.4
7	Saudi Arabia	18.2
8	New Caledonia	17.6
9	Oman	15.7
10	Australia	15.0
11	United States	14.9
12	Sint Maarten (Dutch part)	14.4
13	Canada	14.2
14	Faroe Islands	14.1
15	Kazakhstan	14.0
16	Palau	12.1
17	Taiwan	11.6
18	Luxembourg	11.6
19	South Korea	11.6
20	Russia	11.4
21	Mongolia	11.2
22	Turkmenistan	11.0
23	Greenland	10.5
24	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	10.3
25	Iceland	9.5
26	Czechia	9.3
27	Libya	9.2
28	Curacao	9.2
29	Singapore	8.9
30	Anguilla	8.8
31	Malaysia	8.6
32	Japan	8.5
33	Aruba	8.1
34	Poland	8.1
35	China	8.0
36	Germany	8.0
37	Iran	7.8
38	Estonia	7.8
39	Ireland	7.7
40	Belgium	7.7
41	Turks and Caicos Islands	7.6
42	Norway	7.5
43	Netherlands	7.1
44	Bermuda	6.9
45	Austria	6.9
46	Bulgaria	6.8
47	South Africa	6.7
48	Finland	6.5
49	Antigua and Barbuda	6.4
50	New Zealand	6.2

51	Israel	6.2
52	Belarus	6.2
53	Seychelles	6.1
54	Bosnia and Herzegovina	6.1
55	Slovakia	6.1
56	Serbia	6.0
57	Slovenia	6.0
58	Suriname	5.8
59	Greece	5.7
60	Italy	5.7
61	Cyprus	5.6
62	Bahamas	5.2
63	Spain	5.2
64	Turkey	5.1
65	British Virgin Islands	5.0
66	Denmark	4.9
67	Montserrat	4.8
68	Kosovo	4.8
69	United Kingdom	4.7
70	Saint Kitts and Nevis	4.7
71	Andorra	4.6
72	Lithuania	4.6
73	France	4.6
74	Hungary	4.4
75	Barbados	4.4
76	Guyana	4.4
77	Lebanon	4.4
78	Croatia	4.3
79	Chile	4.3
80	Argentina	4.2
81	Nauru	4.2
82	Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba	4.1
83	Hong Kong	4.1
84	Portugal	4.1
85	Switzerland	4.0
86	Iraq	4.0
87	Mexico	4.0
88	Cook Islands	4.0
89	Algeria	3.9
90	Niue	3.9
91	Liechtenstein	3.8
92	Thailand	3.8
93	Romania	3.7
94	Azerbaijan	3.7
95	Montenegro	3.7
96	Marshall Islands	3.6
97	North Macedonia	3.6
98	Sweden	3.6
99	Latvia	3.6
100	Ukraine	3.6

101	Vietnam	3.5
102	Uzbekistan	3.5
103	Saint Helena	3.3
104	Mauritius	3.3
105	Maldives	3.2
106	Malta	3.1
107	Laos	3.1
108	Equatorial Guinea	3.0
109	Georgia	3.0
110	Tunisia	2.9
111	French Polynesia	2.9
112	Botswana	2.8
113	Venezuela	2.7
114	Grenada	2.7
115	Panama	2.7
116	Indonesia	2.6
117	Saint Lucia	2.6
118	Gabon	2.4
119	Egypt	2.3
120	Ecuador	2.3
121	Uruguay	2.3
122	Armenia	2.3
123	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	2.3
124	Jamaica	2.3
125	Wallis and Futuna	2.3
126	Brazil	2.2
127	Dominica	2.1
128	Dominican Republic	2.1
129	Jordan	2.0
130	India	2.0
131	North Korea	2.0
132	Colombia	1.9
133	Cuba	1.9
134	Morocco	1.8
135	Belize	1.8
136	Peru	1.8
137	Tonga	1.8
138	Bolivia	1.8
139	Albania	1.7
140	Moldova	1.7
141	Namibia	1.5
142	Costa Rica	1.5
143	Macao	1.5
144	Kyrgyzstan	1.4
145	Lesotho	1.4
146	Bhutan	1.3
147	Paraguay	1.3
148	Micronesia (country)	1.3
149	Philippines	1.3
150	Syria	1.2

151	Congo	1.2
152	El Salvador	1.2
153	Cambodia	1.2
154	Fiji	1.2
155	Samoa	1.1
156	Guatemala	1.1
157	Honduras	1.1
158	Eswatini	1.1
159	Tajikistan	1.0
160	Tuvalu	1.0
161	Cape Verde	1.0
162	Mauritania	1.0
163	Pakistan	0.8
164	Nicaragua	0.8
165	Sri Lanka	0.8
166	Papua New Guinea	0.8
167	Senegal	0.7
168	Palestine	0.7
169	Myanmar	0.6
170	Vanuatu	0.6
171	Benin	0.6
172	Ghana	0.6
173	Bangladesh	0.6
174	Nigeria	0.6
175	Sao Tome and Principe	0.6
176	Zimbabwe	0.5
177	Kiribati	0.5
178	Nepal	0.5
179	East Timor	0.5
180	Comoros	0.5
181	Sudan	0.5
182	Kenya	0.5
183	Angola	0.5
184	Zambia	0.4
185	Cote d’Ivoire	0.4
186	Solomon Islands	0.4
187	Djibouti	0.4
188	Guinea	0.4
189	Cameroon	0.3
190	Yemen	0.3
191	Mali	0.3
192	Afghanistan	0.3
193	Togo	0.3
194	Gambia	0.3
195	Burkina Faso	0.3
196	Mozambique	0.2
197	Tanzania	0.2
198	Haiti	0.2
199	Eritrea	0.2
200	South Sudan	0.2

201	Liberia	0.2
202	Guinea-Bissau	0.2
203	Ethiopia	0.2
204	Madagascar	0.1
205	Chad	0.1
206	Sierra Leone	0.1
207	Uganda	0.1
208	Niger	0.1
209	Rwanda	0.1
210	Malawi	0.1
211	Burundi	0.1

Caitriona Maria

Education writer at Facts Institute | Website

Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.