Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in United States
United States: Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita was 13.62 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in United States, 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 United States is 13.62, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in United States peaked at 23.11 in 1973 and was at its lowest, 13.47, in 2020.
United States ranks 15th of 203 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 22.41 | — |
| 1971 | 21.48 | -4.2% |
| 1972 | 22.44 | +4.5% |
| 1973 | 23.11 | +3.0% |
| 1974 | 22.11 | -4.3% |
| 1975 | 20.91 | -5.4% |
| 1976 | 22.09 | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 22.61 | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 22.33 | -1.3% |
| 1979 | 22.25 | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 21.04 | -5.4% |
| 1981 | 20.52 | -2.5% |
| 1982 | 19.27 | -6.1% |
| 1983 | 19.03 | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 19.74 | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 19.67 | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 19.34 | -1.7% |
| 1987 | 19.81 | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 20.54 | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 20.58 | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 19.96 | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 19.52 | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 19.56 | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 19.76 | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 19.83 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 19.8 | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 20.14 | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 20.9 | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 20.83 | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 20.65 | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 21.01 | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 20.63 | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 19.91 | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 19.97 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 20.08 | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 19.93 | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 19.4 | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 19.5 | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 18.71 | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 17.19 | -8.1% |
| 2010 | 17.85 | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 17.02 | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 16.19 | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 16.5 | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 16.42 | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 15.95 | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 15.5 | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 15.18 | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 15.58 | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 15.04 | -3.4% |
| 2020 | 13.47 | -10.5% |
| 2021 | 14.32 | +6.3% |
| 2022 | 14.42 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 13.71 | -4.9% |
| 2024 | 13.62 | -0.7% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 13.62 is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.15, 2.6× the median. (77 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.17 | 20.91 | 23.11 | 10 |
| 1980s | 19.95 | 19.03 | 21.04 | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.1 | 19.52 | 20.9 | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.63 | 17.19 | 21.01 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.12 | 15.04 | 17.85 | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.91 | 13.47 | 14.42 | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 12 Australia 14.1 compare
- 13 Canada 14.01 compare
- 14 Russia 13.98 compare
- 16 Kazakhstan 12.57 compare
- 17 South Korea 11.36 compare
- 18 Turkmenistan 10.86 compare
More climate change data for United States
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 274,482 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 60,922 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 213,560 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 229.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7,627 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 107,381 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 89,068 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 18,313 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 336.11 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 654.05 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in United States?
- Energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in United States was 13.62 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 23.11 in 1973.
- What is the lowest energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.47 in 2020.
- How does United States rank for energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita?
- United States ranks 15th out of 203 countries with data for 2024.
- Is energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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.