Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in Australia
Australia: Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita was 14.1 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in Australia, 1970–2024
Source: Joint Research Centre (European Commission) and International Energy Agency (IEA), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in Australia is 14.1, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in Australia peaked at 19.24 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 12.55, in 1971.
Australia ranks 12th of 203 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 12.85 | — |
| 1971 | 12.55 | -2.3% |
| 1972 | 12.77 | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 13.28 | +4.0% |
| 1974 | 13.64 | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 13.96 | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 14.02 | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 14.8 | +5.6% |
| 1978 | 14.37 | -2.9% |
| 1979 | 14.62 | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 15.13 | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 14.96 | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 15.12 | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 14.17 | -6.3% |
| 1984 | 14.37 | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 15.07 | +4.9% |
| 1986 | 14.88 | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 15.35 | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 15.63 | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 16.31 | +4.3% |
| 1990 | 16.27 | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 16.18 | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 16.2 | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 16.28 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 16.42 | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 16.81 | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 17.16 | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 17.5 | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 18.39 | +5.1% |
| 1999 | 18.51 | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 18.6 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 18.7 | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 18.91 | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 18.67 | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 19.16 | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 19.04 | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 19.08 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 19.24 | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 19.03 | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 18.92 | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 18.85 | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 18.48 | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 18.18 | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 17.54 | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 16.89 | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 16.82 | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 16.89 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 16.72 | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 16.39 | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 16.1 | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 15.3 | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 14.98 | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 14.53 | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 14.16 | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 14.1 | -0.4% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 14.1 is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.15, 2.7× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Australia's 14.1 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.5, 5.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.68 | 12.55 | 14.8 | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.1 | 14.17 | 16.31 | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.97 | 16.18 | 18.51 | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.93 | 18.6 | 19.24 | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.29 | 16.1 | 18.85 | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.61 | 14.1 | 15.3 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 9 United Arab Emirates 18.26 compare
- 10 New Caledonia 17.08 compare
- 11 Gibraltar 16.15 compare
- 13 Canada 14.01 compare
- 14 Russia 13.98 compare
- 15 United States 13.62 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 energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in Australia?
- Energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in Australia was 14.1 in 2024, according to Joint Research Centre (European Commission) and International Energy Agency (IEA), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.24 in 2007.
- What is the lowest energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.55 in 1971.
- How does Australia rank for energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita?
- Australia ranks 12th out of 203 countries with data for 2024.
- Is energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Joint Research Centre (European Commission) and International Energy Agency (IEA), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average energy consumption per capita is measured in kilowatt-hours per person. Average carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per capita are measured in tonnes per person.