Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal in Australia
Australia: Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal was 5.34 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
5.34 tonnes per person
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
8th
of 179 countries
All-time high
10.09 tonnes per person
in 2004
All-time low
0.001 tonnes per person
in 1805
Years of data
220
1805–2024
Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal in Australia, 1805–2024
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
In 2024, per capita co₂ emissions from coal in Australia stood at 5.34 tonnes per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 25.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions from coal in Australia peaked at 10.09 tonnes per person in 2004 and was at its lowest, 0.001 tonnes per person, in 1805.
Australia ranks 8th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 0.0029 tonnes per person | 0.001 tonnes per person | 0.005 tonnes per person | 5 |
| 1810s | 0.0084 tonnes per person | 0.0049 tonnes per person | 0.012 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1820s | 0.0144 tonnes per person | 0.0086 tonnes per person | 0.0192 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1830s | 0.0439 tonnes per person | 0.0042 tonnes per person | 0.0814 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.1099 tonnes per person | 0.0696 tonnes per person | 0.1388 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.2466 tonnes per person | 0.149 tonnes per person | 0.3984 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.6534 tonnes per person | 0.415 tonnes per person | 0.9181 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 1.04 tonnes per person | 0.7969 tonnes per person | 1.22 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.69 tonnes per person | 1.1 tonnes per person | 2.11 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 2.08 tonnes per person | 1.77 tonnes per person | 2.39 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 3.19 tonnes per person | 2.72 tonnes per person | 3.96 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 4.46 tonnes per person | 3.96 tonnes per person | 5.23 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 4.52 tonnes per person | 3.73 tonnes per person | 4.88 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 3.69 tonnes per person | 3.02 tonnes per person | 4.62 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 4.66 tonnes per person | 4.12 tonnes per person | 5.06 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 5.48 tonnes per person | 5.35 tonnes per person | 5.68 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.64 tonnes per person | 5.38 tonnes per person | 5.89 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.02 tonnes per person | 5.56 tonnes per person | 6.52 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.37 tonnes per person | 6.82 tonnes per person | 8.37 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.78 tonnes per person | 8.28 tonnes per person | 9.69 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.78 tonnes per person | 9.46 tonnes per person | 10.09 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.56 tonnes per person | 6.47 tonnes per person | 9.06 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.63 tonnes per person | 5.33 tonnes per person | 6.08 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 5 China 6.26 tonnes per person compare
- 6 Taiwan 6.08 tonnes per person compare
- 7 South Africa 5.8 tonnes per person compare
- 9 South Korea 4.78 tonnes per person compare
- 10 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4.38 tonnes per person compare
- 11 Serbia 3.67 tonnes per person compare
More climate change data for Australia
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.4% (2100)
- Population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Population, total 27.61 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.7% (2025)
- Urban population 24.22 million (2025)
- Urban population 87.7% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 20.04 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita co₂ emissions from coal in Australia?
- Per capita co₂ emissions from coal in Australia was 5.34 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 from coal recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.09 tonnes per person in 2004.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions from coal recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.001 tonnes per person in 1805.
- How does Australia rank for per capita co₂ emissions from coal?
- Australia ranks 8th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions from coal rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia 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 from coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 220 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.