Per capita ghg emissions in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Per capita ghg emissions was 1.85 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.85
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
172nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
8.77
in 1962
All-time low
1.44
in 1879
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita ghg emissions in Sri Lanka, 1850–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for per capita ghg emissions in Sri Lanka is 1.85, 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 ghg emissions in Sri Lanka peaked at 8.77 in 1962 and was at its lowest, 1.44, 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.
Per capita ghg emissions in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 7.01 | — |
| 1851 | 6.7 | -4.3% |
| 1852 | 6.49 | -3.2% |
| 1853 | 6.49 | +0.1% |
| 1854 | 6.79 | +4.7% |
| 1855 | 6.83 | +0.5% |
| 1856 | 6.82 | -0.1% |
| 1857 | 7 | +2.6% |
| 1858 | 7.12 | +1.8% |
| 1859 | 7.43 | +4.3% |
| 1860 | 6.52 | -12.2% |
| 1861 | 5.38 | -17.5% |
| 1862 | 4.95 | -8.0% |
| 1863 | 4.86 | -1.8% |
| 1864 | 4.4 | -9.6% |
| 1865 | 4.11 | -6.6% |
| 1866 | 3.89 | -5.2% |
| 1867 | 3.79 | -2.6% |
| 1868 | 3.67 | -3.2% |
| 1869 | 3.3 | -10.1% |
| 1870 | 2.46 | -25.5% |
| 1871 | 2.09 | -15.1% |
| 1872 | 1.9 | -9.2% |
| 1873 | 1.78 | -5.9% |
| 1874 | 1.77 | -1.0% |
| 1875 | 1.66 | -6.3% |
| 1876 | 1.59 | -4.0% |
| 1877 | 1.53 | -3.5% |
| 1878 | 1.48 | -3.3% |
| 1879 | 1.44 | -2.9% |
| 1880 | 1.74 | +21.2% |
| 1881 | 1.84 | +5.8% |
| 1882 | 2.01 | +8.9% |
| 1883 | 1.99 | -1.2% |
| 1884 | 2.03 | +2.0% |
| 1885 | 2.01 | -0.9% |
| 1886 | 2.06 | +2.8% |
| 1887 | 2 | -2.9% |
| 1888 | 1.99 | -0.7% |
| 1889 | 2.13 | +6.9% |
| 1890 | 2.48 | +16.8% |
| 1891 | 3.15 | +26.7% |
| 1892 | 3.2 | +1.7% |
| 1893 | 3.01 | -5.8% |
| 1894 | 3.2 | +6.3% |
| 1895 | 3.03 | -5.2% |
| 1896 | 3.16 | +4.2% |
| 1897 | 3.54 | +12.1% |
| 1898 | 3.25 | -8.4% |
| 1899 | 3.46 | +6.5% |
| 1900 | 3.15 | -9.0% |
| 1901 | 2.69 | -14.4% |
| 1902 | 2.46 | -8.6% |
| 1903 | 2.57 | +4.4% |
| 1904 | 2.4 | -6.8% |
| 1905 | 2.55 | +6.5% |
| 1906 | 2.62 | +2.9% |
| 1907 | 2.4 | -8.5% |
| 1908 | 2.22 | -7.5% |
| 1909 | 2.54 | +14.4% |
| 1910 | 2.12 | -16.4% |
| 1911 | 2.16 | +1.7% |
| 1912 | 1.97 | -8.9% |
| 1913 | 1.98 | +0.3% |
| 1914 | 2.13 | +7.9% |
| 1915 | 1.92 | -10.0% |
| 1916 | 1.96 | +2.3% |
| 1917 | 1.87 | -4.4% |
| 1918 | 1.86 | -0.8% |
| 1919 | 1.98 | +6.6% |
| 1920 | 1.8 | -9.1% |
| 1921 | 1.73 | -3.8% |
| 1922 | 1.68 | -3.1% |
| 1923 | 1.69 | +0.7% |
| 1924 | 1.62 | -4.0% |
| 1925 | 1.62 | -0.1% |
| 1926 | 1.6 | -1.4% |
| 1927 | 1.61 | +0.5% |
| 1928 | 1.68 | +4.2% |
| 1929 | 1.65 | -1.8% |
| 1930 | 1.68 | +2.0% |
| 1931 | 1.69 | +0.7% |
| 1932 | 1.74 | +3.1% |
| 1933 | 1.74 | -0.4% |
| 1934 | 1.74 | +0.2% |
| 1935 | 1.75 | +0.6% |
| 1936 | 1.85 | +5.7% |
| 1937 | 1.8 | -3.0% |
| 1938 | 1.88 | +4.9% |
| 1939 | 1.83 | -2.8% |
| 1940 | 2.49 | +35.7% |
| 1941 | 2.89 | +16.1% |
| 1942 | 3.04 | +5.2% |
| 1943 | 3.32 | +9.1% |
| 1944 | 3.49 | +5.3% |
| 1945 | 3.39 | -2.8% |
| 1946 | 3.38 | -0.4% |
| 1947 | 3.47 | +2.8% |
| 1948 | 3.32 | -4.4% |
| 1949 | 3.61 | +8.7% |
| 1950 | 3.24 | -10.3% |
| 1951 | 3.09 | -4.5% |
| 1952 | 2.98 | -3.6% |
| 1953 | 3.04 | +2.1% |
| 1954 | 2.98 | -1.8% |
| 1955 | 3.08 | +3.2% |
| 1956 | 3.02 | -1.8% |
| 1957 | 3.28 | +8.4% |
| 1958 | 3.21 | -1.9% |
| 1959 | 2.85 | -11.3% |
| 1960 | 2.47 | -13.2% |
| 1961 | 2.26 | -8.7% |
| 1962 | 8.77 | +287.9% |
| 1963 | 6.2 | -29.2% |
| 1964 | 5.07 | -18.3% |
| 1965 | 4.06 | -19.9% |
| 1966 | 3.58 | -11.8% |
| 1967 | 3.57 | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 3.03 | -15.1% |
| 1969 | 2.81 | -7.1% |
| 1970 | 2.62 | -7.0% |
| 1971 | 2.49 | -4.8% |
| 1972 | 2.33 | -6.5% |
| 1973 | 2.25 | -3.4% |
| 1974 | 2.11 | -6.3% |
| 1975 | 2.41 | +14.3% |
| 1976 | 2.56 | +5.9% |
| 1977 | 2.63 | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 2.1 | -20.1% |
| 1979 | 1.93 | -8.4% |
| 1980 | 1.82 | -5.4% |
| 1981 | 1.78 | -2.5% |
| 1982 | 1.86 | +4.5% |
| 1983 | 1.83 | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 1.83 | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 1.86 | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 1.81 | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 1.73 | -4.2% |
| 1988 | 1.69 | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 1.62 | -4.6% |
| 1990 | 1.65 | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 1.73 | +4.7% |
| 1992 | 1.77 | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 1.82 | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 2 | +10.1% |
| 1995 | 1.94 | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 1.94 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 1.76 | -9.0% |
| 1998 | 1.71 | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 1.66 | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 1.68 | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 1.61 | -4.6% |
| 2002 | 1.69 | +5.3% |
| 2003 | 1.74 | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 2.94 | +69.1% |
| 2005 | 2.06 | -29.9% |
| 2006 | 1.97 | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 2.96 | +50.5% |
| 2008 | 2.44 | -17.6% |
| 2009 | 2.19 | -10.1% |
| 2010 | 2.55 | +16.1% |
| 2011 | 2.29 | -10.1% |
| 2012 | 2.05 | -10.4% |
| 2013 | 1.85 | -9.8% |
| 2014 | 1.87 | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 2.08 | +11.7% |
| 2016 | 2.13 | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 2.24 | +4.9% |
| 2018 | 1.96 | -12.4% |
| 2019 | 1.9 | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 1.85 | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 1.82 | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 1.74 | -4.3% |
| 2023 | 1.79 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 1.85 | +3.5% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 1.85 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.81, 38% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 1.85 is below the median for South Asia, which is 2.46, 75% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita ghg emissions in Sri Lanka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +287.9% | 2.26 | 8.77 |
| 2004 | +69.1% | 1.74 | 2.94 |
| 2007 | +50.5% | 1.97 | 2.96 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 6.87 | 6.49 | 7.43 | 10 |
| 1860s | 4.49 | 3.3 | 6.52 | 10 |
| 1870s | 1.77 | 1.44 | 2.46 | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.98 | 1.74 | 2.13 | 10 |
| 1890s | 3.15 | 2.48 | 3.54 | 10 |
| 1900s | 2.56 | 2.22 | 3.15 | 10 |
| 1910s | 2 | 1.86 | 2.16 | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.67 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.77 | 1.68 | 1.88 | 10 |
| 1940s | 3.24 | 2.49 | 3.61 | 10 |
| 1950s | 3.08 | 2.85 | 3.28 | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.18 | 2.26 | 8.77 | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.34 | 1.93 | 2.63 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.78 | 1.62 | 1.86 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.8 | 1.65 | 2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.13 | 1.61 | 2.96 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.09 | 1.85 | 2.55 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.81 | 1.74 | 1.85 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More climate change data for Sri Lanka
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 327.09 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,418 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 618.46 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,800 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,168 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,071 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,097 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.82 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita ghg emissions in Sri Lanka?
- Per capita ghg emissions in Sri Lanka was 1.85 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita ghg emissions recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 8.77 in 1962.
- What is the lowest per capita ghg emissions recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.44 in 1879.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for per capita ghg emissions?
- Sri Lanka ranks 172nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita ghg 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita ghg 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).