Annual CO₂ emissions from coal in Australia
Australia: Annual CO₂ emissions from coal was 142.55 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
142.55 million tonnes
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
13th
of 179 countries
All-time high
206.07 million tonnes
in 2009
All-time low
236 tonnes
in 1805
Years of data
220
1805–2024
Annual CO₂ emissions from coal in Australia, 1805–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, annual co₂ emissions from coal in Australia stood at 142.55 million tonnes.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from coal in Australia peaked at 206.07 million tonnes in 2009 and was at its lowest, 236 tonnes, in 1805.
Australia ranks 13th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 714.4 tonnes | 236 tonnes | 1,259 tonnes | 5 |
| 1810s | 2,446 tonnes | 1,259 tonnes | 3,540 tonnes | 10 |
| 1820s | 4,763 tonnes | 2,870 tonnes | 6,360 tonnes | 10 |
| 1830s | 16,776 tonnes | 1,421 tonnes | 33,487 tonnes | 10 |
| 1840s | 55,063 tonnes | 35,125 tonnes | 76,336 tonnes | 10 |
| 1850s | 233,143 tonnes | 106,055 tonnes | 484,948 tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 1.01 million tonnes | 560,575 tonnes | 1.53 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 2.03 million tonnes | 1.40 million tonnes | 2.58 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 4.40 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 6.25 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 7.00 million tonnes | 5.45 million tonnes | 8.58 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 12.72 million tonnes | 10.05 million tonnes | 16.56 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 21.08 million tonnes | 17.44 million tonnes | 24.48 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 25.93 million tonnes | 23.15 million tonnes | 28.89 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 24.50 million tonnes | 19.35 million tonnes | 31.80 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 34.79 million tonnes | 28.69 million tonnes | 37.91 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 49.97 million tonnes | 43.97 million tonnes | 56.69 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 63.60 million tonnes | 56.48 million tonnes | 72.27 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 82.71 million tonnes | 72.75 million tonnes | 94.77 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 116.42 million tonnes | 101.83 million tonnes | 141.14 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 158.41 million tonnes | 141.88 million tonnes | 183.23 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 198.41 million tonnes | 185.80 million tonnes | 206.07 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 179.18 million tonnes | 164.89 million tonnes | 200.63 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 147.59 million tonnes | 140.98 million tonnes | 156.62 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More climate change data for Australia
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.4% (2100)
- Population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Population, total 27.61 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.7% (2025)
- Urban population 24.22 million (2025)
- Urban population 87.7% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 20.04 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from coal in Australia?
- Annual co₂ emissions from coal in Australia was 142.55 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual co₂ emissions from coal recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 206.07 million tonnes in 2009.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from coal recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 236 tonnes in 1805.
- How does Australia rank for annual co₂ emissions from coal?
- Australia ranks 13th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from coal rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual CO₂ emissions from coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 220 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured in tonnes.