Iceland vs United States: Per capita CO₂ emissions by source
Iceland
2.21 tonnes per person
in 2024
United States
2.12 tonnes per person
in 2024
Iceland rank
20th
United States rank
23rd
Per capita CO₂ emissions by source over time
- Iceland
- United States
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 2.21 tonnes per person against 2.12 tonnes per person in United States, a difference of 0.09 tonnes per person.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 87 shared years of data; in 1936 it was United States ahead.
Iceland ranks 20th and United States ranks 23rd of 179 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 10 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0.1736 tonnes per person | 9.1 tonnes per person | 8.93 tonnes per person | United States |
| 1940s | 2.58 tonnes per person | 9.92 tonnes per person | 7.34 tonnes per person | United States |
| 1950s | 0.8257 tonnes per person | 6.36 tonnes per person | 5.53 tonnes per person | United States |
| 1960s | 0.1451 tonnes per person | 5.38 tonnes per person | 5.24 tonnes per person | United States |
| 1970s | 0.0298 tonnes per person | 5.6 tonnes per person | 5.57 tonnes per person | United States |
| 1980s | 0.7783 tonnes per person | 6.5 tonnes per person | 5.72 tonnes per person | United States |
| 1990s | 1.09 tonnes per person | 7.08 tonnes per person | 5.99 tonnes per person | United States |
| 2000s | 1.8 tonnes per person | 7.06 tonnes per person | 5.26 tonnes per person | United States |
| 2010s | 1.99 tonnes per person | 4.67 tonnes per person | 2.69 tonnes per person | United States |
| 2020s | 1.95 tonnes per person | 2.48 tonnes per person | 0.5352 tonnes per person | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher per capita co₂ emissions by source, Iceland or United States?
- Iceland, at 2.21 tonnes per person against 2.12 tonnes per person in United States as of 2024.
- What is the difference in per capita co₂ emissions by source between Iceland and United States?
- 0.09 tonnes per person, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and United States?
- 87 years are reported by both, from 1936 to 2024.
- How do Iceland and United States rank globally for per capita co₂ emissions by source?
- Iceland ranks 20th and United States ranks 23rd of 179 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Per capita CO₂ emissions by source. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured in tonnes per person.