Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Japan
Japan: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions was 8.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
8.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
53rd
of 199 countries
All-time high
10.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 2013
All-time low
0.6841 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Japan, 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 Japan is 8.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Japan peaked at 10.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.6841 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1850.
That places Japan 53rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0.7022 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6841 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7197 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.7215 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7057 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7327 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.8103 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.744 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.8875 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.9721 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.8972 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 1.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 2.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 2.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 2.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 3.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 50 South Africa 8.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 51 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 52 Turks and Caicos Islands 8.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 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
More climate change data for Japan
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.8% (2100)
- Population growth -0.5% (2025)
- Population, total 123.37 million (2025)
- Urban population growth -0.4% (2025)
- Urban population 113.87 million (2025)
- Urban population 92.3% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 7.77 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 69.61 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 7.77 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 7.77 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Japan?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Japan was 8.14 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 10.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2013.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6841 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1850.
- How does Japan rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions?
- Japan ranks 53rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan 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.