Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Germany
Germany: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions was 7.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
7.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
down 3.5%
World rank
57th
of 199 countries
All-time high
17.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1979
All-time low
2.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Germany, 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
Germany recorded 7.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person for per capita greenhouse gas emissions in 2024.
That represents a change of down 3.5% on the previous year and down 29.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Germany peaked at 17.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1979 and was at its lowest, 2.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1850.
Germany ranks 57th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Germany, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 2.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 2.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1852 | 2.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1853 | 2.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1854 | 2.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1855 | 2.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1856 | 2.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.1% |
| 1857 | 2.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1858 | 2.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 1859 | 2.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1860 | 2.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 1861 | 2.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.2% |
| 1862 | 2.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.1% |
| 1863 | 2.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1864 | 3.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.2% |
| 1865 | 3.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.2% |
| 1866 | 3.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1867 | 3.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.0% |
| 1868 | 3.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.0% |
| 1869 | 3.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1870 | 3.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 1871 | 3.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.7% |
| 1872 | 3.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.3% |
| 1873 | 4.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 1874 | 3.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -18.3% |
| 1875 | 4.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +22.5% |
| 1876 | 4.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1877 | 3.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.4% |
| 1878 | 4.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1879 | 4.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.0% |
| 1880 | 4.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.5% |
| 1881 | 4.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.2% |
| 1882 | 4.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.8% |
| 1883 | 4.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.6% |
| 1884 | 5.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1885 | 5.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1886 | 5.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1887 | 5.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1888 | 5.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.9% |
| 1889 | 5.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1890 | 5.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 1891 | 6.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1892 | 5.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.8% |
| 1893 | 6.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1894 | 6.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.1% |
| 1895 | 6.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 1896 | 6.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.0% |
| 1897 | 6.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.2% |
| 1898 | 7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1899 | 7.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.9% |
| 1900 | 7.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.9% |
| 1901 | 7.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1902 | 7.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.1% |
| 1903 | 7.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1904 | 7.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1905 | 8.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.7% |
| 1906 | 7.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.9% |
| 1907 | 9.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +16.9% |
| 1908 | 8.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1909 | 8.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1910 | 8.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.4% |
| 1911 | 8.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 1912 | 9.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.3% |
| 1913 | 10.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.4% |
| 1914 | 9.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.1% |
| 1915 | 8.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.1% |
| 1916 | 9.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.3% |
| 1917 | 10.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.3% |
| 1918 | 9.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.4% |
| 1919 | 7.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -20.7% |
| 1920 | 8.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.2% |
| 1921 | 9.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.9% |
| 1922 | 8.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.7% |
| 1923 | 6.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -24.5% |
| 1924 | 8.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +29.6% |
| 1925 | 8.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1926 | 7.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.2% |
| 1927 | 8.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.6% |
| 1928 | 9.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.8% |
| 1929 | 9.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.4% |
| 1930 | 8.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -13.3% |
| 1931 | 7.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.0% |
| 1932 | 6.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.9% |
| 1933 | 6.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1934 | 7.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.5% |
| 1935 | 8.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.5% |
| 1936 | 8.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.5% |
| 1937 | 9.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.7% |
| 1938 | 10.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.5% |
| 1939 | 10.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.6% |
| 1940 | 11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1941 | 11.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1942 | 11.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1943 | 11.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.2% |
| 1944 | 10.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.7% |
| 1945 | 3.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -70.3% |
| 1946 | 5.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +68.6% |
| 1947 | 6.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +21.1% |
| 1948 | 7.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.6% |
| 1949 | 8.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +12.3% |
| 1950 | 9.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +16.4% |
| 1951 | 10.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.0% |
| 1952 | 11.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.1% |
| 1953 | 11.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1954 | 11.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1955 | 12.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.2% |
| 1956 | 13.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1957 | 13.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1958 | 13.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 1959 | 13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1960 | 13.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.3% |
| 1961 | 14.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1962 | 14.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.8% |
| 1963 | 15.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1964 | 15.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 15.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1966 | 15.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 1967 | 15.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1968 | 15.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.2% |
| 1969 | 16.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.2% |
| 1970 | 16.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.8% |
| 1971 | 16.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 16.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 16.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1974 | 16.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1975 | 15.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.5% |
| 1976 | 16.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.6% |
| 1977 | 16.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1978 | 16.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 17.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 17.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 16.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.2% |
| 1982 | 15.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 15.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 16.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 16.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 16.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 16.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 15.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 15.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 15.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 15.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.2% |
| 1992 | 14.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.9% |
| 1993 | 14.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 13.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 13.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 13.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 13.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 1998 | 13.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 12.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 12.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 12.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 12.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 12.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 12.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 12.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 12.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 11.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 12.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 11.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.3% |
| 2010 | 11.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 11.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 11.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 11.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 11.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 11.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 10.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 10.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 10.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 9.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 8.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.0% |
| 2021 | 9.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 9.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 8.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.5% |
| 2024 | 7.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.5% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 7.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 7.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.0× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Germany's 7.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Germany 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | -70.3% | 10.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1946 | +68.6% | 3.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 2.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 3.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 3.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 5.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 6.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 8.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 9.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 8.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 8.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 8.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 12.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 13.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 15.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 13.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 16.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 17.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 17.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 12.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 12.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 54 Netherlands 8.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 55 Laos 7.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 56 Czechia 7.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 58 Turkey 7.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 59 Antigua and Barbuda 7.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 60 Denmark 7.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
More climate change data for Germany
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 1.70 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 43,971 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 9,073 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,898 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 34.24 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,246 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 12,350 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 12,227 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 122.64 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 46.14 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Germany?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Germany was 7.8 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 17.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1979.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1850.
- How does Germany rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions?
- Germany ranks 57th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany 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.