Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Belgium
Belgium: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions was 9.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
9.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
41st
of 199 countries
All-time high
17.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1973
All-time low
4.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Belgium, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Belgium is 9.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Belgium peaked at 17.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1973 and was at its lowest, 4.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1850.
That places Belgium 41st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Belgium, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 4.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 5.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1852 | 5.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 1853 | 5.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1854 | 5.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.9% |
| 1855 | 5.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 1856 | 5.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1857 | 5.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1858 | 5.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1859 | 5.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 1860 | 5.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.3% |
| 1861 | 6.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 1862 | 6.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.5% |
| 1863 | 6.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1864 | 6.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 1865 | 6.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1866 | 6.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1867 | 7.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.2% |
| 1868 | 6.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.7% |
| 1869 | 6.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.4% |
| 1870 | 7.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.4% |
| 1871 | 7.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.1% |
| 1872 | 7.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.9% |
| 1873 | 8.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.3% |
| 1874 | 7.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.4% |
| 1875 | 7.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1876 | 7.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 1877 | 7.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.4% |
| 1878 | 7.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.9% |
| 1879 | 7.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1880 | 8.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.1% |
| 1881 | 8.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1882 | 8.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1883 | 8.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1884 | 8.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1885 | 8.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.6% |
| 1886 | 8.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 1887 | 8.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.8% |
| 1888 | 8.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1889 | 8.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1890 | 9.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.4% |
| 1891 | 9.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.4% |
| 1892 | 8.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.2% |
| 1893 | 8.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.8% |
| 1894 | 9.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.5% |
| 1895 | 8.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1896 | 9.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1897 | 9.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1898 | 9.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1899 | 9.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1900 | 10.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1901 | 9.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 1902 | 9.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1903 | 10.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.9% |
| 1904 | 9.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.6% |
| 1905 | 9.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1906 | 10.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.1% |
| 1907 | 10.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1908 | 10.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 1909 | 10.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1910 | 10.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 1911 | 10.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1912 | 10.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.1% |
| 1913 | 11.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.1% |
| 1914 | 7.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -34.5% |
| 1915 | 6.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -12.2% |
| 1916 | 8.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +23.5% |
| 1917 | 6.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -17.5% |
| 1918 | 6.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.4% |
| 1919 | 7.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +23.7% |
| 1920 | 9.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +18.1% |
| 1921 | 8.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.3% |
| 1922 | 9.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.7% |
| 1923 | 11.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +21.1% |
| 1924 | 11.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1925 | 12.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1926 | 11.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1927 | 13.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.7% |
| 1928 | 13.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.8% |
| 1929 | 14.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.4% |
| 1930 | 13.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.9% |
| 1931 | 12.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.7% |
| 1932 | 10.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -17.4% |
| 1933 | 10.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.1% |
| 1934 | 11.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 1935 | 10.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.6% |
| 1936 | 11.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.8% |
| 1937 | 12.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +17.2% |
| 1938 | 11.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -11.0% |
| 1939 | 10.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.5% |
| 1940 | 9.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -14.0% |
| 1941 | 9.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 1942 | 9.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 1943 | 8.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.3% |
| 1944 | 5.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -35.8% |
| 1945 | 6.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +12.7% |
| 1946 | 8.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +35.6% |
| 1947 | 11.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +37.4% |
| 1948 | 12.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1949 | 11.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.2% |
| 1950 | 10.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.2% |
| 1951 | 12.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +14.6% |
| 1952 | 11.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 1953 | 11.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1954 | 12.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 1955 | 12.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.3% |
| 1956 | 13.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.4% |
| 1957 | 13.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1958 | 12.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.4% |
| 1959 | 12.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1960 | 12.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1961 | 12.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 13.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.1% |
| 1963 | 14.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.3% |
| 1964 | 13.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1965 | 14.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 13.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 1967 | 14.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1968 | 15.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.4% |
| 1969 | 15.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 15.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 15.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 16.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.8% |
| 1973 | 17.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.1% |
| 1974 | 17.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 15.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.4% |
| 1976 | 16.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.0% |
| 1977 | 15.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 16.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.5% |
| 1979 | 17.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 16.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 15.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.9% |
| 1982 | 14.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.7% |
| 1983 | 13.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.6% |
| 1984 | 13.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1985 | 13.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 13.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 13.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 12.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.5% |
| 1989 | 13.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.5% |
| 1990 | 14.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.4% |
| 1991 | 15.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 14.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 14.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 14.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 15.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 15.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 14.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 15.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 14.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 14.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 14.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 14.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 14.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 14.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 14.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 13.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 13.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 13.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 12.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.7% |
| 2010 | 12.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 11.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.9% |
| 2012 | 11.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 11.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 10.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 11.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 10.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 10.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 10.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 10.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 9.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.6% |
| 2021 | 10.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 9.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.3% |
| 2023 | 9.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.5% |
| 2024 | 9.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 9.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 7.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.2× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 9.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.5× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Belgium 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | +37.4% | 8.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1944 | -35.8% | 8.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1914 | -34.5% | 11.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1946 | +35.6% | 6.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 5.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 6.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 7.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 8.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 9.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 10.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 8.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 11.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 14.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 11.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 13.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 9.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 12.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 12.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 13.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 14.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 12.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 16.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 17.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 12.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 14.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 12.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 14.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 12.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 38 China 9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 39 Paraguay 9.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 40 Bhutan 9.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 42 Argentina 9.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 43 Estonia 8.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 44 Suriname 8.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
More climate change data for Belgium
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 143.51 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 8,360 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 6,597 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.65 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 235.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,004 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 993.72 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 10.01 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3.75 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Belgium?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Belgium was 9.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 17.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1973.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1850.
- How does Belgium rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions?
- Belgium ranks 41st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita greenhouse gas emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes per person of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.