CO₂ emissions per capita in Malaysia
Malaysia: CO₂ emissions per capita was 8.16 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
8.16 tonnes per person
Change on year
up 3.8%
World rank
34th
of 213 countries
All-time high
8.3 tonnes per person
in 2019
All-time low
0.0048 tonnes per person
in 1890
Years of data
134
1890–2024
CO₂ emissions per capita in Malaysia, 1890–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 8.16 tonnes per person for co₂ emissions per capita in 2024.
That represents a change of up 3.8% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions per capita in Malaysia peaked at 8.3 tonnes per person in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.0048 tonnes per person, in 1890.
Malaysia ranks 34th of 213 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
CO₂ emissions per capita in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 0.0048 tonnes per person | — |
| 1891 | 0.0117 tonnes per person | +141.9% |
| 1892 | 0.0295 tonnes per person | +151.6% |
| 1893 | 0.0066 tonnes per person | -77.7% |
| 1894 | 0.0276 tonnes per person | +319.3% |
| 1895 | 0.0616 tonnes per person | +123.3% |
| 1896 | 0.0675 tonnes per person | +9.7% |
| 1897 | 0.048 tonnes per person | -28.9% |
| 1898 | 0.0651 tonnes per person | +35.5% |
| 1899 | 0.0595 tonnes per person | -8.6% |
| 1900 | 0.028 tonnes per person | -52.9% |
| 1901 | 0.0221 tonnes per person | -21.0% |
| 1902 | 0.0232 tonnes per person | +4.9% |
| 1903 | 0.0226 tonnes per person | -2.4% |
| 1904 | 0.0142 tonnes per person | -37.3% |
| 1905 | 0.0169 tonnes per person | +19.2% |
| 1906 | 0.015 tonnes per person | -11.3% |
| 1907 | 0.0352 tonnes per person | +134.1% |
| 1908 | 0.0357 tonnes per person | +1.6% |
| 1909 | 0.0642 tonnes per person | +79.7% |
| 1910 | 0.0874 tonnes per person | +36.1% |
| 1912 | 0.0065 tonnes per person | -92.5% |
| 1913 | 0.0218 tonnes per person | +233.6% |
| 1914 | 0.0504 tonnes per person | +130.8% |
| 1915 | 0.0693 tonnes per person | +37.4% |
| 1916 | 0.182 tonnes per person | +162.8% |
| 1917 | 0.2119 tonnes per person | +16.4% |
| 1918 | 0.2135 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 1919 | 0.24 tonnes per person | +12.4% |
| 1920 | 0.3391 tonnes per person | +41.3% |
| 1921 | 0.4229 tonnes per person | +24.7% |
| 1922 | 0.5864 tonnes per person | +38.7% |
| 1923 | 0.7395 tonnes per person | +26.1% |
| 1924 | 0.7019 tonnes per person | -5.1% |
| 1925 | 0.8122 tonnes per person | +15.7% |
| 1926 | 0.9115 tonnes per person | +12.2% |
| 1927 | 0.886 tonnes per person | -2.8% |
| 1928 | 0.9768 tonnes per person | +10.2% |
| 1929 | 1.03 tonnes per person | +5.8% |
| 1930 | 0.9022 tonnes per person | -12.7% |
| 1931 | 0.6514 tonnes per person | -27.8% |
| 1932 | 0.4229 tonnes per person | -35.1% |
| 1933 | 0.3669 tonnes per person | -13.3% |
| 1934 | 0.3916 tonnes per person | +6.7% |
| 1935 | 0.3998 tonnes per person | +2.1% |
| 1936 | 0.444 tonnes per person | +11.1% |
| 1937 | 0.4978 tonnes per person | +12.1% |
| 1938 | 0.3977 tonnes per person | -20.1% |
| 1939 | 0.3472 tonnes per person | -12.7% |
| 1940 | 0.5135 tonnes per person | +47.9% |
| 1941 | 0.4286 tonnes per person | -16.5% |
| 1942 | 0.1272 tonnes per person | -70.3% |
| 1943 | 0.2501 tonnes per person | +96.6% |
| 1944 | 0.2056 tonnes per person | -17.8% |
| 1945 | 0.1122 tonnes per person | -45.4% |
| 1946 | 0.109 tonnes per person | -2.9% |
| 1947 | 0.1214 tonnes per person | +11.4% |
| 1948 | 0.2074 tonnes per person | +70.8% |
| 1949 | 0.2086 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 1950 | 0.5994 tonnes per person | +187.3% |
| 1951 | 0.8343 tonnes per person | +39.2% |
| 1952 | 0.9919 tonnes per person | +18.9% |
| 1953 | 0.9856 tonnes per person | -0.6% |
| 1954 | 1.03 tonnes per person | +4.9% |
| 1955 | 1.07 tonnes per person | +3.2% |
| 1956 | 1.06 tonnes per person | -1.0% |
| 1957 | 0.4772 tonnes per person | -54.8% |
| 1958 | 0.5067 tonnes per person | +6.2% |
| 1959 | 0.4104 tonnes per person | -19.0% |
| 1960 | 0.5281 tonnes per person | +28.7% |
| 1961 | 0.5738 tonnes per person | +8.7% |
| 1962 | 0.57 tonnes per person | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 0.6775 tonnes per person | +18.9% |
| 1964 | 0.8381 tonnes per person | +23.7% |
| 1965 | 0.9253 tonnes per person | +10.4% |
| 1966 | 1.06 tonnes per person | +14.5% |
| 1967 | 1.07 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 1.08 tonnes per person | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 0.9186 tonnes per person | -15.2% |
| 1970 | 1.43 tonnes per person | +56.0% |
| 1971 | 1.6 tonnes per person | +11.6% |
| 1972 | 1.68 tonnes per person | +4.9% |
| 1973 | 1.6 tonnes per person | -4.5% |
| 1974 | 1.7 tonnes per person | +6.2% |
| 1975 | 1.7 tonnes per person | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 2.03 tonnes per person | +20.0% |
| 1977 | 1.88 tonnes per person | -7.6% |
| 1978 | 1.89 tonnes per person | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 2.16 tonnes per person | +14.6% |
| 1980 | 2.16 tonnes per person | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 2.3 tonnes per person | +6.7% |
| 1982 | 2.22 tonnes per person | -3.9% |
| 1983 | 2.66 tonnes per person | +20.2% |
| 1984 | 2.36 tonnes per person | -11.5% |
| 1985 | 2.38 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 2.54 tonnes per person | +6.8% |
| 1987 | 2.51 tonnes per person | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 2.55 tonnes per person | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 2.89 tonnes per person | +13.3% |
| 1990 | 3.04 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 1991 | 3.59 tonnes per person | +17.9% |
| 1992 | 3.87 tonnes per person | +8.0% |
| 1993 | 4.48 tonnes per person | +15.7% |
| 1994 | 4.41 tonnes per person | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 5.39 tonnes per person | +22.1% |
| 1996 | 5.28 tonnes per person | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 5.54 tonnes per person | +5.0% |
| 1998 | 5.01 tonnes per person | -9.6% |
| 1999 | 4.63 tonnes per person | -7.5% |
| 2000 | 5.35 tonnes per person | +15.4% |
| 2001 | 5.56 tonnes per person | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 5.48 tonnes per person | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 6.22 tonnes per person | +13.5% |
| 2004 | 6.72 tonnes per person | +8.1% |
| 2005 | 6.58 tonnes per person | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 6.44 tonnes per person | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 6.5 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 6.99 tonnes per person | +7.6% |
| 2009 | 6.83 tonnes per person | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 6.96 tonnes per person | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 6.98 tonnes per person | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 7.18 tonnes per person | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 8.01 tonnes per person | +11.5% |
| 2014 | 7.98 tonnes per person | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 7.55 tonnes per person | -5.4% |
| 2016 | 7.46 tonnes per person | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 7.56 tonnes per person | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 7.98 tonnes per person | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 8.3 tonnes per person | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 7.74 tonnes per person | -6.8% |
| 2021 | 7.97 tonnes per person | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 8.12 tonnes per person | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 7.87 tonnes per person | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 8.16 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 8.16 tonnes per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.04 tonnes per person, 2.7× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 8.16 tonnes per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.21 tonnes per person, 2.5× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where CO₂ emissions per capita in Malaysia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 | +319.3% | 0.0066 tonnes per person | 0.0276 tonnes per person |
| 1913 | +233.6% | 0.0065 tonnes per person | 0.0218 tonnes per person |
| 1950 | +187.3% | 0.2086 tonnes per person | 0.5994 tonnes per person |
| 1916 | +162.8% | 0.0693 tonnes per person | 0.182 tonnes per person |
| 1892 | +151.6% | 0.0117 tonnes per person | 0.0295 tonnes per person |
| 1891 | +141.9% | 0.0048 tonnes per person | 0.0117 tonnes per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 0.0382 tonnes per person | 0.0048 tonnes per person | 0.0675 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.0277 tonnes per person | 0.0142 tonnes per person | 0.0642 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.1203 tonnes per person | 0.0065 tonnes per person | 0.24 tonnes per person | 9 |
| 1920s | 0.7409 tonnes per person | 0.3391 tonnes per person | 1.03 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.4822 tonnes per person | 0.3472 tonnes per person | 0.9022 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.2284 tonnes per person | 0.109 tonnes per person | 0.5135 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.7964 tonnes per person | 0.4104 tonnes per person | 1.07 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.8239 tonnes per person | 0.5281 tonnes per person | 1.08 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.77 tonnes per person | 1.43 tonnes per person | 2.16 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.46 tonnes per person | 2.16 tonnes per person | 2.89 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.53 tonnes per person | 3.04 tonnes per person | 5.54 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.27 tonnes per person | 5.35 tonnes per person | 6.99 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.6 tonnes per person | 6.96 tonnes per person | 8.3 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.97 tonnes per person | 7.74 tonnes per person | 8.16 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More climate change data for Malaysia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 621.79 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,551 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,936 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,616 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7.31 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 93.41 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 7,214 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,641 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,573 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 13.74 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions per capita in Malaysia?
- Co₂ emissions per capita in Malaysia was 8.16 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions per capita recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 8.3 tonnes per person in 2019.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions per capita recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0048 tonnes per person in 1890.
- How does Malaysia rank for co₂ emissions per capita?
- Malaysia ranks 34th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions per capita rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 134 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes. This includes emissions from transport, electricity generation, and heating, but not land-use change.