Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Belgium
Belgium: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry was 8.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
8.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
32nd
of 198 countries
All-time high
16.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1973
All-time low
3.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Belgium, 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
Belgium recorded 8.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person for per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and down 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Belgium peaked at 16.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1973 and was at its lowest, 3.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1850.
That places Belgium 32nd out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Belgium, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 3.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1852 | 3.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.2% |
| 1853 | 3.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1854 | 3.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.5% |
| 1855 | 3.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1856 | 3.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1857 | 3.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1858 | 4.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 1859 | 4.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1860 | 4.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1861 | 4.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.8% |
| 1862 | 4.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.4% |
| 1863 | 4.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.5% |
| 1864 | 4.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 1865 | 4.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.6% |
| 1866 | 5.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1867 | 5.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.2% |
| 1868 | 4.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.0% |
| 1869 | 5.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1870 | 5.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.4% |
| 1871 | 5.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.5% |
| 1872 | 5.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.9% |
| 1873 | 6.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.7% |
| 1874 | 5.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.8% |
| 1875 | 6.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1876 | 5.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
| 1877 | 5.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.2% |
| 1878 | 5.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.7% |
| 1879 | 5.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1880 | 6.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.7% |
| 1881 | 6.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1882 | 6.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.3% |
| 1883 | 6.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.4% |
| 1884 | 6.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.4% |
| 1885 | 6.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.1% |
| 1886 | 6.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.7% |
| 1887 | 6.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.2% |
| 1888 | 6.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.6% |
| 1889 | 6.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1890 | 7.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.5% |
| 1891 | 6.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 1892 | 6.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 1893 | 6.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.1% |
| 1894 | 7.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.6% |
| 1895 | 7.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1896 | 7.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 1897 | 7.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.2% |
| 1898 | 7.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 1899 | 7.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 1900 | 8.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 1901 | 7.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.6% |
| 1902 | 7.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1903 | 8.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.2% |
| 1904 | 8.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.2% |
| 1905 | 7.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 1906 | 8.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +12.4% |
| 1907 | 8.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1908 | 8.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 1909 | 8.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1910 | 9.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.1% |
| 1911 | 9.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1912 | 9.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.5% |
| 1913 | 9.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.7% |
| 1914 | 6.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -38.9% |
| 1915 | 5.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -14.3% |
| 1916 | 6.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +30.6% |
| 1917 | 5.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -19.8% |
| 1918 | 5.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.6% |
| 1919 | 6.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +30.5% |
| 1920 | 8.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +21.3% |
| 1921 | 7.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.4% |
| 1922 | 8.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.5% |
| 1923 | 10.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +26.5% |
| 1924 | 10.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.2% |
| 1925 | 10.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1926 | 10.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 1927 | 12.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.2% |
| 1928 | 12.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 1929 | 13.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.9% |
| 1930 | 12.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.8% |
| 1931 | 11.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.3% |
| 1932 | 9.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -19.2% |
| 1933 | 9.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.7% |
| 1934 | 10.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1935 | 9.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.5% |
| 1936 | 10 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.2% |
| 1937 | 11.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +19.4% |
| 1938 | 10.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -12.2% |
| 1939 | 9.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.6% |
| 1940 | 8.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.3% |
| 1941 | 8.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.5% |
| 1942 | 8.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.2% |
| 1943 | 7.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.2% |
| 1944 | 4.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -40.5% |
| 1945 | 5.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.6% |
| 1946 | 7.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +41.8% |
| 1947 | 10.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +42.2% |
| 1948 | 11.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.5% |
| 1949 | 10.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.8% |
| 1950 | 9.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.5% |
| 1951 | 11.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +16.4% |
| 1952 | 10.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.4% |
| 1953 | 10.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1954 | 11.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.8% |
| 1955 | 11.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.8% |
| 1956 | 12.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1957 | 12.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1958 | 11.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.9% |
| 1959 | 11.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 11.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1961 | 11.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1962 | 12.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.0% |
| 1963 | 13.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.9% |
| 1964 | 12.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.5% |
| 1965 | 13.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 13.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 14.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.0% |
| 1969 | 14.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.5% |
| 1970 | 14.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 14.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
| 1972 | 15.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.3% |
| 1973 | 16.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.2% |
| 1974 | 15.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 14.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.0% |
| 1976 | 15.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.4% |
| 1977 | 14.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1978 | 15.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.0% |
| 1979 | 16.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 15.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 1981 | 14.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.3% |
| 1982 | 13.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.1% |
| 1983 | 12.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -11.6% |
| 1984 | 12.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1985 | 12.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 12.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 12.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 11.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.1% |
| 1989 | 12.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1990 | 13.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.7% |
| 1991 | 13.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 13.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 13.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 13.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 13.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 14.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 13.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 14.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 13.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 13.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 13.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 13.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 13.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 13.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 13.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 12.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 12.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 12.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 11.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.7% |
| 2010 | 11.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 10.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.3% |
| 2012 | 10.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 10.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 9.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.7% |
| 2015 | 10.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 9.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 9.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 9.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 9.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 8.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.1% |
| 2021 | 9.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 8.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.9% |
| 2023 | 8.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.1% |
| 2024 | 8.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 8.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.2× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 8.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.5× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Belgium 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | +42.2% | 7.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1944 | -40.5% | 7.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1946 | +41.8% | 5.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1914 | -38.9% | 9.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 3.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 4.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 5.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 6.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 7.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 8.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 7.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 10.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 13.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 10.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 12.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 8.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 11.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 12.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 13.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 14.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 14.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 13.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 14.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 13.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 29 Iraq 8.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 30 Turks and Caicos Islands 8.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 31 Czechia 8.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 33 Poland 8.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 34 Norway 7.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 35 Japan 7.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
More climate change data for Belgium
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 143.51 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 8,360 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 6,597 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.65 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 235.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,004 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 993.72 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 10.01 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3.75 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Belgium?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Belgium was 8.22 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, excluding land use and forestry recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 16.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1973.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1850.
- How does Belgium rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry?
- Belgium ranks 32nd out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium 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, excluding land use and forestry. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes per person of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.