How does Australia rank for co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change?

Australia ranks 16th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.

Is co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change rising or falling in Australia?

Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. 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 CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Australia

Name: CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Australia
Creator: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Australia: CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change was 386.73 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)

386.73 million tonnes

Change on year

up 0.6%

World rank

16th

of 215 countries

All-time high

414.93 million tonnes

in 2019

All-time low

106,055 tonnes

in 1852

Years of data

175

1850–2024

CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Australia, 1850–2024

Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

The most recent figure for co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Australia is 386.73 million tonnes, measured in 2024.

The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Australia peaked at 414.93 million tonnes in 2019 and was at its lowest, 106,055 tonnes, in 1852.

Australia ranks 16th of 215 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
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	7.01 million tonnes	5.45 million tonnes	8.70 million tonnes	10
1900s	12.90 million tonnes	10.17 million tonnes	16.79 million tonnes	10
1910s	21.52 million tonnes	17.71 million tonnes	24.92 million tonnes	10
1920s	27.53 million tonnes	23.79 million tonnes	31.27 million tonnes	10
1930s	28.84 million tonnes	22.55 million tonnes	37.98 million tonnes	10
1940s	42.07 million tonnes	35.35 million tonnes	48.06 million tonnes	10
1950s	69.39 million tonnes	55.64 million tonnes	83.07 million tonnes	10
1960s	108.17 million tonnes	87.01 million tonnes	136.41 million tonnes	10
1970s	169.71 million tonnes	147.86 million tonnes	192.32 million tonnes	10
1980s	224.21 million tonnes	204.37 million tonnes	256.84 million tonnes	10
1990s	303.93 million tonnes	278.06 million tonnes	343.88 million tonnes	10
2000s	380.94 million tonnes	349.90 million tonnes	406.98 million tonnes	10
2010s	405.77 million tonnes	392.61 million tonnes	414.93 million tonnes	10
2020s	388.43 million tonnes	384.08 million tonnes	398.55 million tonnes	5

Countries ranked near Australia

13 Brazil 483.01 million tonnes compare
15 South Africa 439.83 million tonnes compare
17 Vietnam 370.93 million tonnes compare
18 United Kingdom 312.91 million tonnes compare
19 Italy 301.93 million tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 216 places →

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)

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Australia?: Co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Australia was 386.73 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in Australia?: The highest recorded value was 414.93 million tonnes in 2019.
What is the lowest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in Australia?: The lowest recorded value was 106,055 tonnes in 1852.
How does Australia rank for co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change?: Australia ranks 16th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
Is co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change rising or falling in Australia?: Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. 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 CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change
Unit: tonnes
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 216 places, 22,638 data points, 1850–2024
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in tonnes.