Australia vs United States: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector
Australia
214.60 million tonnes
in 2023
United States
366.83 million tonnes
in 2023
Australia rank
6th
United States rank
4th
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector over time
- Australia
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 366.83 million tonnes against 214.60 million tonnes in Australia, a difference of 152.23 million tonnes.
That makes United States's figure about 1.7 times Australia's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
Australia ranks 6th and United States ranks 4th of 193 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 172.88 million tonnes | 371.74 million tonnes | 198.87 million tonnes | United States |
| 2000s | 175.90 million tonnes | 370.92 million tonnes | 195.02 million tonnes | United States |
| 2010s | 160.34 million tonnes | 372.27 million tonnes | 211.93 million tonnes | United States |
| 2020s | 145.96 million tonnes | 373.13 million tonnes | 227.17 million tonnes | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher greenhouse gas emissions by sector, Australia or United States?
- United States, at 366.83 million tonnes against 214.60 million tonnes in Australia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in greenhouse gas emissions by sector between Australia and United States?
- 152.23 million tonnes, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and United States?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Australia and United States rank globally for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Australia ranks 6th and United States ranks 4th of 193 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Greenhouse gas emissions by sector. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents.