Greenhouse gas emissions in Australia
Australia: Greenhouse gas emissions was 609.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
609.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
16th
of 199 countries
All-time high
908.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2010
All-time low
43.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
The most recent figure for greenhouse gas emissions in Australia is 609.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions in Australia peaked at 908.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2010 and was at its lowest, 43.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1850.
That places Australia 16th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
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 | 47.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 43.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 51.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 60.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 53.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 67.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 83.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 71.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 92.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 97.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 92.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 102.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 117.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 110.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 124.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 135.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 126.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 144.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 152.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 147.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 155.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 217.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 190.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 231.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 175.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 169.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 198.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 193.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 172.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 214.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 317.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 256.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 367.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 423.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 351.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 572.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 449.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 379.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 554.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 507.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 447.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 574.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 618.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 522.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 710.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 720.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 637.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 797.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 729.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 637.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 908.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 618.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 609.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 637.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 13 Germany 659.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 14 Mexico 635.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 15 South Korea 630.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 17 Vietnam 583.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 18 South Africa 542.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 19 Pakistan 473.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
More climate change data for Australia
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.4% (2100)
- Population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Population, total 27.61 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.7% (2025)
- Urban population 24.22 million (2025)
- Urban population 87.7% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 20.04 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions in Australia?
- Greenhouse gas emissions in Australia was 609.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 908.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2010.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1850.
- How does Australia rank for greenhouse gas emissions?
- Australia ranks 16th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of 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 of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.