Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Australia
Australia: Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre was 1,811 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1,811 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
140th
of 194 countries
All-time high
1,811 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
892.79 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Australia, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Australia is 1,811 tonnes per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Australia peaked at 1,811 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 892.79 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
Australia ranks 140th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Australia, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 892.79 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 911.18 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1963 | 935.45 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1964 | 964.04 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1965 | 998.18 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 1,026 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1967 | 1,078 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1968 | 1,105 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1969 | 1,120 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 1,127 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 1,135 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 1,134 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 1,134 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 1,129 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 1,134 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 1,139 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 1,159 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 1,175 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 1,189 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 1,201 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 1,220 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 1,231 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 1,263 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 1,278 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 1,287 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 1,290 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 1,288 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 1,284 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 1,279 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 1,276 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 1,270 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 1,274 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 1,279 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 1,282 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 1,307 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 1,334 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 1,352 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 1,379 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 1,398 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 1,426 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 1,441 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 1,450 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 1,480 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 1,505 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 1,514 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 1,518 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 1,528 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 1,565 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 1,579 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 1,651 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 1,688 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 1,709 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 1,731 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 1,741 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 1,746 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 1,757 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 1,768 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 1,775 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 1,780 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 1,792 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 1,800 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 1,805 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 1,811 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1,811 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for high income countries, which is 4,090 tonnes per square kilometre, 44% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1,811 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 10,271 tonnes per square kilometre, 18% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,003 tonnes per square kilometre | 892.79 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,120 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,145 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,127 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,189 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,262 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,201 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,290 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,315 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,270 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,398 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,501 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,426 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,579 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,735 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,651 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,780 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,802 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,792 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,811 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 137 Israel 1,908 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 138 Somalia 1,848 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 139 Cape Verde 1,844 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 141 Lebanon 1,811 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 142 Mali 1,624 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 143 Mongolia 1,558 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for Australia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 1.30 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 118,578 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 34,162 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 84,416 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 128.91 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3,015 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 12,473 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 10,966 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,507 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 41.38 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Australia?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Australia was 1,811 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 1,811 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 892.79 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Australia rank for cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre?
- Australia ranks 140th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.