Visualizing Global Per Capita CO2 Emissions - Visual Capitalist

Developing countries like China, India, and Russia are some of the highest producers of CO₂ worldwide and will be so for a while. But the situation is far from straightforward—and looking at CO₂ emissions per capita can add nuance to the overall story.

Based on data presented by the Aqal Group and the IEA, here we visualize the countries and regions with the highest per capita carbon emissions from around the world.

Let’s dive into the highest per capita carbon emitters and how they are trying to reduce their carbon contributions.

Leaders in Per Capita CO₂ Emissions

Oil-producing countries in the Middle East are the highest emitters of CO₂ on a per capita basis, but developed countries like the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Canada also have some of the higher rates of per capita emissions.

*Middle East A group includes Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates

Canada and the United States have per capita carbon footprints of 15.2 and 14.4 tonnes per year, respectively. Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand combine for an average per capita footprint of over 13.6 tonnes per year.

It’s worth noting that all of these numbers are more than three times higher than the global average, which in 2019 was 4.4 tonnes per person.

Energy Sources and Per Capita CO₂ Emissions

Since there is a strong relationship between wealth and per capita CO₂ emissions, we’d expect countries with high living standards to have a high carbon...

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