emissions of air pollutants in Australia
Australia: emissions of air pollutants was 1.56 million tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile
emissions of air pollutants in Australia, 1750–2022
Source: Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for emissions of air pollutants in Australia is 1.56 million tonnes, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 2.8% on the previous year and down 27.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants in Australia peaked at 5.69 million tonnes in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 1750.
That places Australia 42nd out of 220 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 10 |
| 1760s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 10 |
| 1770s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 10 |
| 1780s | 75.47 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 150.79 tonnes | 10 |
| 1790s | 340.26 tonnes | 167.49 tonnes | 512.64 tonnes | 10 |
| 1800s | 1,123 tonnes | 550.82 tonnes | 1,694 tonnes | 10 |
| 1810s | 3,830 tonnes | 1,820 tonnes | 5,834 tonnes | 10 |
| 1820s | 12,735 tonnes | 6,277 tonnes | 19,170 tonnes | 10 |
| 1830s | 34,107 tonnes | 20,592 tonnes | 47,562 tonnes | 10 |
| 1840s | 91,989 tonnes | 50,534 tonnes | 133,229 tonnes | 10 |
| 1850s | 242,894 tonnes | 140,379 tonnes | 367,456 tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 477,925 tonnes | 395,759 tonnes | 567,214 tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 731,294 tonnes | 586,477 tonnes | 871,124 tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.09 million tonnes | 903,774 tonnes | 1.27 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.28 million tonnes | 1.19 million tonnes | 1.39 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 1.53 million tonnes | 1.46 million tonnes | 1.57 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.26 million tonnes | 978,896 tonnes | 1.54 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 899,548 tonnes | 832,933 tonnes | 955,630 tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 785,186 tonnes | 765,060 tonnes | 817,322 tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 856,308 tonnes | 810,559 tonnes | 890,062 tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.77 million tonnes | 1.45 million tonnes | 2.13 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.75 million tonnes | 2.35 million tonnes | 3.31 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.07 million tonnes | 3.38 million tonnes | 4.68 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.98 million tonnes | 4.67 million tonnes | 5.50 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.99 million tonnes | 4.41 million tonnes | 5.69 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.49 million tonnes | 2.52 million tonnes | 4.30 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.02 million tonnes | 1.79 million tonnes | 2.31 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.60 million tonnes | 1.56 million tonnes | 1.64 million tonnes | 3 |
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 emissions of air pollutants in Australia?
- Emissions of air pollutants in Australia was 1.56 million tonnes in 2022, according to Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.69 million tonnes in 1990.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 1750.
- How does Australia rank for emissions of air pollutants?
- Australia ranks 42nd out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 273 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a pollutant produced from the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels such as oil, gas, wood, and coal. CO is a harmful gas that contributes to both outdoor and indoor air pollution.