Per capita CO₂ emissions by source in New Zealand
New Zealand: Per capita CO₂ emissions by source was 1.12 tonnes per person in 2024. ▼ Falling
Per capita CO₂ emissions by source in New Zealand, 1878–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for per capita co₂ emissions by source in New Zealand is 1.12 tonnes per person, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 50.6% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions by source in New Zealand peaked at 4.72 tonnes per person in 1910 and was at its lowest, 0.7468 tonnes per person, in 2023.
That places New Zealand 38th out of 179 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 147 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0.9008 tonnes per person | 0.7658 tonnes per person | 1.04 tonnes per person | 2 |
| 1880s | 1.78 tonnes per person | 1.29 tonnes per person | 2.15 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 2.34 tonnes per person | 2.15 tonnes per person | 2.75 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 3.8 tonnes per person | 3.02 tonnes per person | 4.23 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 4.18 tonnes per person | 3.39 tonnes per person | 4.72 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 3.01 tonnes per person | 2.77 tonnes per person | 3.29 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 2.63 tonnes per person | 2.26 tonnes per person | 3.22 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.98 tonnes per person | 2.84 tonnes per person | 3.12 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.71 tonnes per person | 2.57 tonnes per person | 3.05 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.24 tonnes per person | 1.76 tonnes per person | 2.77 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.62 tonnes per person | 1.2 tonnes per person | 1.84 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.27 tonnes per person | 1.06 tonnes per person | 1.49 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.29 tonnes per person | 1.19 tonnes per person | 1.4 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.71 tonnes per person | 1.15 tonnes per person | 2.16 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2 tonnes per person | 0.9505 tonnes per person | 1.56 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9951 tonnes per person | 0.7468 tonnes per person | 1.21 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More climate change data for New Zealand
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.1% (2100)
- Population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Population, total 5.32 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Urban population 4.47 million (2025)
- Urban population 84.0% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 6.23 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 2.01 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 6.23 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 6.23 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita co₂ emissions by source in New Zealand?
- Per capita co₂ emissions by source in New Zealand was 1.12 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita co₂ emissions by source recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 4.72 tonnes per person in 1910.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions by source recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7468 tonnes per person in 2023.
- How does New Zealand rank for per capita co₂ emissions by source?
- New Zealand ranks 38th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions by source rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita CO₂ emissions by source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 147 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured in tonnes per person.