Australia vs United States: Methane emissions by sector
Australia
530,000 tonnes
in 2023
United States
860,000 tonnes
in 2023
Australia rank
22nd
United States rank
20th
Methane emissions by sector over time
- Australia
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 860,000 tonnes against 530,000 tonnes in Australia, a difference of 330,000 tonnes.
That makes United States's figure about 1.6 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 11 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 22nd and United States ranks 20th of 193 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 3 and United States in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.89 million tonnes | 1.48 million tonnes | 2.41 million tonnes | Australia |
| 2000s | 1.75 million tonnes | 990,000 tonnes | 757,000 tonnes | Australia |
| 2010s | 1.88 million tonnes | 969,000 tonnes | 914,000 tonnes | Australia |
| 2020s | 1.71 million tonnes | 1.71 million tonnes | 5,000 tonnes | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher methane emissions by sector, Australia or United States?
- United States, at 860,000 tonnes against 530,000 tonnes in Australia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in methane emissions by sector between Australia and United States?
- 330,000 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 methane emissions by sector?
- Australia ranks 22nd and United States ranks 20th of 193 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Methane 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.