Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Australia
Australia: Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square was 4,366 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
4,366 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
165th
of 192 countries
All-time high
4,366 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
1,198 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Australia, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Australia stood at 4,366 tonnes per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Australia peaked at 4,366 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1,198 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Australia 165th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Australia, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1,198 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 1,228 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1963 | 1,265 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1964 | 1,307 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1965 | 1,356 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1966 | 1,398 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1967 | 1,467 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1968 | 1,510 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 1,543 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 1,569 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 1,597 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 1,616 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 1,638 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 1,655 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 1,683 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 1,709 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 1,753 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 1,794 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 1,833 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 1,872 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 1,919 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 1,958 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 2,017 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 2,061 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 2,099 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 2,130 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 2,159 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 2,186 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 2,215 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 2,249 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 2,279 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 2,319 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 2,362 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 2,403 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 2,468 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 2,536 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 2,595 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 2,666 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 2,730 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 2,803 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 2,864 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 2,921 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 2,999 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 3,073 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 3,133 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 3,188 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 3,250 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 3,339 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 3,407 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 3,531 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 3,620 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 3,695 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 3,768 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 3,830 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 3,887 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 3,948 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 4,013 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 4,074 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 4,133 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 4,197 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 4,255 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 4,310 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 4,366 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 4,366 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for high income countries, which is 49,918 tonnes per square kilometre, 9% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Australia's 4,366 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 19,423 tonnes per square kilometre, 22% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,364 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,198 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,543 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,685 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,569 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,833 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,061 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,872 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,215 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,461 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,249 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,730 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,098 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,803 tonnes per square kilometre | 3,407 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,850 tonnes per square kilometre | 3,531 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,133 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,282 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,197 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,366 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 162 Dominica 4,713 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 163 Tajikistan 4,540 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 164 Equatorial Guinea 4,463 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 166 Angola 4,253 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 167 Gabon 4,110 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 168 Senegal 3,869 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 including land-use change, per square in Australia?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Australia was 4,366 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 4,366 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,198 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Australia rank for cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square?
- Australia ranks 165th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.9%. 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 including 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 including 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 including land-use change ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions including 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 including 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.