Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Malaysia
Malaysia: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions was 10.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
10.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
32nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
37.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1887
All-time low
3.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1935
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Malaysia, 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
Malaysia recorded 10.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person for per capita greenhouse gas emissions in 2024.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and down 33.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Malaysia peaked at 37.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1887 and was at its lowest, 3.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1935.
That places Malaysia 32nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 175 years of available data.
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 20.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 21.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.4% |
| 1852 | 33.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +60.1% |
| 1853 | 21.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -37.9% |
| 1854 | 23.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.8% |
| 1855 | 21.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.2% |
| 1856 | 21.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.0% |
| 1857 | 27.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +27.4% |
| 1858 | 21.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -24.3% |
| 1859 | 21.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1860 | 19.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 1861 | 33.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +67.8% |
| 1862 | 19.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -41.8% |
| 1863 | 21.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.4% |
| 1864 | 29.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +35.0% |
| 1865 | 24.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -16.7% |
| 1866 | 28.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +19.8% |
| 1867 | 9.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -67.0% |
| 1868 | 15.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +58.8% |
| 1869 | 29.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +93.6% |
| 1870 | 29.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1871 | 14.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -49.9% |
| 1872 | 25.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +72.2% |
| 1873 | 17.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -32.5% |
| 1874 | 19.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.8% |
| 1875 | 15.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -19.7% |
| 1876 | 16.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.1% |
| 1877 | 20.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +23.9% |
| 1878 | 14.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -31.2% |
| 1879 | 11.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -17.7% |
| 1880 | 30.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +163.8% |
| 1881 | 32.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.8% |
| 1882 | 32.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.2% |
| 1883 | 37.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +17.1% |
| 1884 | 29.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -22.8% |
| 1885 | 30.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.8% |
| 1886 | 28.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.7% |
| 1887 | 37.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +34.4% |
| 1888 | 20.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -45.9% |
| 1889 | 28.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +40.6% |
| 1890 | 23.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -17.4% |
| 1891 | 23.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1892 | 5.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -78.4% |
| 1893 | 16.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +227.6% |
| 1894 | 15.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.4% |
| 1895 | 11.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -26.0% |
| 1896 | 12.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.7% |
| 1897 | 15.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +23.1% |
| 1898 | 5.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -67.4% |
| 1899 | 10.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +111.5% |
| 1900 | 10.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1901 | 24.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +122.3% |
| 1902 | 16.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -31.4% |
| 1903 | 16.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1904 | 22.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +35.2% |
| 1905 | 15.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -28.8% |
| 1906 | 22.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +42.2% |
| 1907 | 9.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -56.6% |
| 1908 | 8.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.8% |
| 1909 | 12.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +57.7% |
| 1910 | 23.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +80.9% |
| 1911 | 31.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +34.6% |
| 1912 | 22.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -27.1% |
| 1913 | 31.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +38.5% |
| 1914 | 25.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -20.4% |
| 1915 | 23.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 1916 | 20.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.8% |
| 1917 | 29.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +45.8% |
| 1918 | 17.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -39.2% |
| 1919 | 27.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +54.1% |
| 1920 | 20.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -26.3% |
| 1921 | 15.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -23.9% |
| 1922 | 10.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -30.8% |
| 1923 | 18.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +74.1% |
| 1924 | 11.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -36.0% |
| 1925 | 10.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -13.1% |
| 1926 | 5.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -43.3% |
| 1927 | 7.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +32.6% |
| 1928 | 8.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.9% |
| 1929 | 7.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.4% |
| 1930 | 8.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.5% |
| 1931 | 12.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +45.2% |
| 1932 | 14.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.2% |
| 1933 | 12.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -16.5% |
| 1934 | 14.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.7% |
| 1935 | 3.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -73.4% |
| 1936 | 15.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +304.7% |
| 1937 | 13.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.4% |
| 1938 | 13.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.7% |
| 1939 | 12.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.9% |
| 1940 | 12.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.8% |
| 1941 | 16.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +28.4% |
| 1942 | 17.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1943 | 15.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.5% |
| 1944 | 14.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.0% |
| 1945 | 15.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1946 | 15.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 1947 | 13.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.1% |
| 1948 | 13.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1949 | 15.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.2% |
| 1950 | 10.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -32.5% |
| 1951 | 8.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -18.7% |
| 1952 | 8.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.4% |
| 1953 | 7.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -12.9% |
| 1954 | 7.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 7.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.1% |
| 1956 | 6.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.9% |
| 1957 | 5.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -18.3% |
| 1958 | 5.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.5% |
| 1959 | 4.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -16.6% |
| 1960 | 4.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.2% |
| 1961 | 7.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +75.7% |
| 1962 | 11.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +38.7% |
| 1963 | 9.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -14.4% |
| 1964 | 14.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +50.7% |
| 1965 | 8.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -40.1% |
| 1966 | 9.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.0% |
| 1967 | 12.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +31.0% |
| 1968 | 10.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -16.1% |
| 1969 | 13.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +24.5% |
| 1970 | 13.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1971 | 15.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.2% |
| 1972 | 13.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.6% |
| 1973 | 12.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.2% |
| 1974 | 13.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.1% |
| 1975 | 12.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.6% |
| 1976 | 15.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +19.6% |
| 1977 | 16.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.4% |
| 1978 | 15.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.6% |
| 1979 | 14.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 1980 | 15.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.9% |
| 1981 | 12.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -17.2% |
| 1982 | 13.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.5% |
| 1983 | 11.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.1% |
| 1984 | 14.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +24.7% |
| 1985 | 19.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +38.2% |
| 1986 | 22.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.1% |
| 1987 | 22.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 23.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 17.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -27.1% |
| 1990 | 13.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -18.6% |
| 1991 | 12.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.6% |
| 1992 | 13.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.4% |
| 1993 | 14.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.7% |
| 1994 | 14.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 13.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.8% |
| 1996 | 12.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.4% |
| 1997 | 12.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.8% |
| 1998 | 12.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 9.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -17.5% |
| 2000 | 10.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 11.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.3% |
| 2002 | 11.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 11.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 11.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 11.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 11.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 12.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 13.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.3% |
| 2009 | 13.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.9% |
| 2010 | 13.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 15.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +12.5% |
| 2012 | 15.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 16.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +12.2% |
| 2014 | 16.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 14.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -14.6% |
| 2016 | 12.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.8% |
| 2017 | 12.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 11.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 11.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 10.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 11.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 11.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 10.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 10.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.0% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 10.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 2.3× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 10.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 2.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Malaysia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | +304.7% | 3.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1893 | +227.6% | 5.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1880 | +163.8% | 11.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 30.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 23.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 20.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 33.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 23.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 33.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 18.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 29.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 30.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 20.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 37.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 13.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 23.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 15.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 24.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 25.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 17.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 31.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 11.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 20.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 12.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 14.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 12.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 17.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 6.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 10.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 14.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 14.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 12.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 23.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 14.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 13.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 29 Luxembourg 11.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 30 Ireland 11.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 31 Iran 11.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 33 Gabon 10.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 34 Singapore 10.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 35 Belarus 10.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
More climate change data for Malaysia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 621.79 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,551 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,936 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,616 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7.31 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 93.41 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 7,214 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,641 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,573 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 13.74 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Malaysia?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Malaysia was 10.93 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 37.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1887.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1935.
- How does Malaysia rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions?
- Malaysia ranks 32nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.