Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Australia
Australia: Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector was 489.58 kilograms per person in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
489.58 kilograms per person
Change on year
down 5.0%
World rank
40th
of 187 countries
All-time high
602.97 kilograms per person
in 2015
All-time low
489.58 kilograms per person
in 2023
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Australia, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Australia is 489.58 kilograms per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.0% on the previous year and down 16.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Australia peaked at 602.97 kilograms per person in 2015 and was at its lowest, 489.58 kilograms per person, in 2023.
Australia ranks 40th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Australia, year by year
| Year | kilograms per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 503.9 kilograms per person | — |
| 1991 | 500.2 kilograms per person | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 513.41 kilograms per person | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 528.69 kilograms per person | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 511.81 kilograms per person | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 537.15 kilograms per person | +5.0% |
| 1996 | 551.21 kilograms per person | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 549.58 kilograms per person | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 556.1 kilograms per person | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 545.22 kilograms per person | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 552.46 kilograms per person | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 559.76 kilograms per person | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 568.5 kilograms per person | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 570.65 kilograms per person | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 561.19 kilograms per person | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 559.76 kilograms per person | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 561.42 kilograms per person | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 564.08 kilograms per person | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 557.78 kilograms per person | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 575.22 kilograms per person | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 572.68 kilograms per person | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 584.52 kilograms per person | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 586.37 kilograms per person | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 588.74 kilograms per person | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 600.54 kilograms per person | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 602.97 kilograms per person | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 549.12 kilograms per person | -8.9% |
| 2017 | 550.73 kilograms per person | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 536.23 kilograms per person | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 521.92 kilograms per person | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 529.84 kilograms per person | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 527.04 kilograms per person | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 515.25 kilograms per person | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 489.58 kilograms per person | -5.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 489.58 kilograms per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 461.71 kilograms per person, 1.1× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Australia's 489.58 kilograms per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 97.44 kilograms per person, 5.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 529.73 kilograms per person | 500.2 kilograms per person | 556.1 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 563.08 kilograms per person | 552.46 kilograms per person | 575.22 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 569.38 kilograms per person | 521.92 kilograms per person | 602.97 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 515.43 kilograms per person | 489.58 kilograms per person | 529.84 kilograms per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
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 per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Australia?
- Per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Australia was 489.58 kilograms per person in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 602.97 kilograms per person in 2015.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 489.58 kilograms per person in 2023.
- How does Australia rank for per capita co₂ emissions by sector?
- Australia ranks 40th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in kilograms per person.