Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions was 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
172nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
8.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1962
All-time low
1.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1879
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka is 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka peaked at 8.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1962 and was at its lowest, 1.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1879.
Sri Lanka ranks 172nd of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
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 | 6.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 4.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 1.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 3.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 2.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 3.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 3.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 169 Sierra Leone 1.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 170 Ethiopia 1.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 171 Zimbabwe 1.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 173 Micronesia (country) 1.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 175 Kenya 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
More climate change data for Sri Lanka
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.2% (2100)
- Population growth -0.7% (2025)
- Population, total 21.76 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.0% (2025)
- Urban population 4.45 million (2025)
- Urban population 20.5% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 0.9014 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 567.87 million tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 0.9014 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 0.9014 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka was 1.85 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 8.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1962.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1879.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions?
- Sri Lanka ranks 172nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.