Per capita CO₂ emissions relative to the global average in Greenland
Greenland: Per capita CO₂ emissions relative to the global average was 11.08 tonnes per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
11.08 tonnes per person
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
22nd
of 213 countries
All-time high
14.5 tonnes per person
in 1977
All-time low
4.02 tonnes per person
in 1954
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Per capita CO₂ emissions relative to the global average in Greenland, 1950–2024
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 relative to the global average in Greenland stood at 11.08 tonnes per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 23.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions relative to the global average in Greenland peaked at 14.5 tonnes per person in 1977 and was at its lowest, 4.02 tonnes per person, in 1954.
Greenland ranks 22nd of 213 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 75 years of available data.
Per capita CO₂ emissions relative to the global average in Greenland, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 4.26 tonnes per person | — |
| 1951 | 4.18 tonnes per person | -1.9% |
| 1952 | 4.39 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 1953 | 4.87 tonnes per person | +10.9% |
| 1954 | 4.02 tonnes per person | -17.4% |
| 1955 | 7.95 tonnes per person | +97.6% |
| 1956 | 5.25 tonnes per person | -33.9% |
| 1957 | 5.7 tonnes per person | +8.5% |
| 1958 | 7.71 tonnes per person | +35.3% |
| 1959 | 7.63 tonnes per person | -1.1% |
| 1960 | 6.96 tonnes per person | -8.8% |
| 1961 | 8.77 tonnes per person | +26.0% |
| 1962 | 7.61 tonnes per person | -13.2% |
| 1963 | 9.18 tonnes per person | +20.6% |
| 1964 | 8.46 tonnes per person | -7.8% |
| 1965 | 8.93 tonnes per person | +5.5% |
| 1966 | 9.71 tonnes per person | +8.8% |
| 1967 | 10.08 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
| 1968 | 12.67 tonnes per person | +25.6% |
| 1969 | 9.21 tonnes per person | -27.3% |
| 1970 | 8.38 tonnes per person | -9.0% |
| 1971 | 10.08 tonnes per person | +20.3% |
| 1972 | 11.7 tonnes per person | +16.1% |
| 1973 | 11.6 tonnes per person | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 11.45 tonnes per person | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 10.28 tonnes per person | -10.2% |
| 1976 | 4.43 tonnes per person | -56.9% |
| 1977 | 14.5 tonnes per person | +227.3% |
| 1978 | 7.88 tonnes per person | -45.7% |
| 1979 | 11.48 tonnes per person | +45.7% |
| 1980 | 11.26 tonnes per person | -1.9% |
| 1981 | 10.4 tonnes per person | -7.6% |
| 1982 | 10.06 tonnes per person | -3.3% |
| 1983 | 6.98 tonnes per person | -30.6% |
| 1984 | 10.79 tonnes per person | +54.6% |
| 1985 | 9.57 tonnes per person | -11.3% |
| 1986 | 6.07 tonnes per person | -36.6% |
| 1987 | 4.32 tonnes per person | -28.8% |
| 1988 | 9.96 tonnes per person | +130.5% |
| 1989 | 8.54 tonnes per person | -14.2% |
| 1990 | 11.22 tonnes per person | +31.3% |
| 1991 | 10.93 tonnes per person | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 10.67 tonnes per person | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 9.78 tonnes per person | -8.4% |
| 1994 | 8.88 tonnes per person | -9.1% |
| 1995 | 9.56 tonnes per person | +7.6% |
| 1996 | 10.65 tonnes per person | +11.4% |
| 1997 | 11 tonnes per person | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 10.62 tonnes per person | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 10.58 tonnes per person | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 11.87 tonnes per person | +12.1% |
| 2001 | 10.95 tonnes per person | -7.7% |
| 2002 | 10.23 tonnes per person | -6.5% |
| 2003 | 11.44 tonnes per person | +11.7% |
| 2004 | 10.94 tonnes per person | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 11 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 11.31 tonnes per person | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 11.18 tonnes per person | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 11.53 tonnes per person | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 10.21 tonnes per person | -11.5% |
| 2010 | 11.67 tonnes per person | +14.3% |
| 2011 | 12.4 tonnes per person | +6.3% |
| 2012 | 9.63 tonnes per person | -22.3% |
| 2013 | 9.94 tonnes per person | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 8.94 tonnes per person | -10.1% |
| 2015 | 9.77 tonnes per person | +9.3% |
| 2016 | 9.08 tonnes per person | -7.1% |
| 2017 | 9.55 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 2018 | 9.34 tonnes per person | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 9.38 tonnes per person | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 9.79 tonnes per person | +4.5% |
| 2021 | 9.75 tonnes per person | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 10.48 tonnes per person | +7.6% |
| 2023 | 10.88 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 11.08 tonnes per person | +1.8% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 11.08 tonnes per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.14 tonnes per person, 1.8× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 11.08 tonnes per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.13 tonnes per person, 2.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita CO₂ emissions relative to the global average in Greenland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | +227.3% | 4.43 tonnes per person | 14.5 tonnes per person |
| 1988 | +130.5% | 4.32 tonnes per person | 9.96 tonnes per person |
| 1955 | +97.6% | 4.02 tonnes per person | 7.95 tonnes per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.6 tonnes per person | 4.02 tonnes per person | 7.95 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 9.16 tonnes per person | 6.96 tonnes per person | 12.67 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.18 tonnes per person | 4.43 tonnes per person | 14.5 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.79 tonnes per person | 4.32 tonnes per person | 11.26 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.39 tonnes per person | 8.88 tonnes per person | 11.22 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.07 tonnes per person | 10.21 tonnes per person | 11.87 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.97 tonnes per person | 8.94 tonnes per person | 12.4 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.4 tonnes per person | 9.75 tonnes per person | 11.08 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
- 19 Russia 12.29 tonnes per person compare
- 20 Taiwan 11.3 tonnes per person compare
- 21 South Korea 11.29 tonnes per person compare
- 23 Turkmenistan 10.81 tonnes per person compare
- 24 Luxembourg 10.46 tonnes per person compare
- 25 Anguilla 10.13 tonnes per person compare
More climate change data for Greenland
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 148,208 kg (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 0.8215 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 0.8215 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0031 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) 0.8215 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 0.8215 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions 0.0031 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Direct emissions 0.0023 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that) 0.0002 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that leaches) 0.0005 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita co₂ emissions relative to the global average in Greenland?
- Per capita co₂ emissions relative to the global average in Greenland was 11.08 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 relative to the global average recorded in Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 14.5 tonnes per person in 1977.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions relative to the global average recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.02 tonnes per person in 1954.
- How does Greenland rank for per capita co₂ emissions relative to the global average?
- Greenland ranks 22nd out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions relative to the global average rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Greenland 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 relative to the global average. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes. This includes emissions from transport, electricity generation, and heating, but not land-use change.