Ranked: World Carbon Emissions by Country
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Ranked: World Carbon Emissions by Country

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Visualized: Share of World Carbon Emissions by Country

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Key Takeaways

  • China accounts for 26.2% of world carbon emissions, while the U.S. is responsible for another 11.5%.
  • This was equivalent to 12.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide for China and 5.6 billion tCO2e for the U.S. in 2022.
  • Most of the top 10 emitters are also the world’s most populous countries, barring Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Canada.

This graphic breaks down the share of global carbon emissions by country, categorized into income groups.

Countries with a share below 0.4% are combined into the “other” group in each income category.

Data for this chart is sourced from Climate Watch for the year 2022—the latest available figures. Income group categorization uses the current World Bank classification system.

ℹ️ Income group classification is based off gross national income (GNI) per capita data in U.S. dollars, converted from local currencies. Upper and lower middle-income groups have been combined into one for this graphic.

Share of World Carbon Emissions by Country in 2022

Ranked first, China accounts for 26% of all global emissions, measured at 12.7 billion tCO2e in 2022. For reference, China has a population of 1.4 billion people.

RankCountryISO CodeShare of
Total Emissions
Carbon Emissions (in
million tCO2e, 2022)
1🇨🇳 ChinaCHN26.16%12,716
2🇺🇸 U.S.USA11.53%5,604
3🇮🇳 IndiaIND7.69%3,737
4🇷🇺 RussiaRUS3.75%1,821
5🇧🇷 BrazilBRA3.16%1,538
6🇮🇩 IndonesiaIDN3.15%1,530
7🇯🇵 JapanJPN2.15%1,044
8🇮🇷 IranIRN2.06%1,004
9🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaSAU1.60%775
10🇨🇦 CanadaCAN1.54%750
11🇨🇩 DRCCOD1.44%700
12🇩🇪 GermanyDEU1.43%696
13🇲🇽 MexicoMEX1.31%637
14🇰🇷 South KoreaKOR1.29%627
15🇦🇺 AustraliaAUS1.18%574
16🇿🇦 South AfricaZAF1.09%530
17🇵🇰 PakistanPAK1.04%505
18🇹🇷 TürkiyeTUR1.02%497
19🇹🇭 ThailandTHA0.96%466
20🇻🇳 VietnamVNM0.93%454
21🇦🇷 ArgentinaARG0.88%429
22🇬🇧 UKGBR0.85%414
23🇲🇾 MalaysiaMYS0.80%387
24🇮🇹 ItalyITA0.76%370
25🇳🇬 NigeriaNGA0.73%356
26🇵🇱 PolandPOL0.72%348
27🇪🇬 EgyptEGY0.69%336
28🇫🇷 FranceFRA0.68%330
29🇰🇿 KazakhstanKAZ0.68%328
30🇮🇶 IraqIRQ0.63%305
31🇩🇿 AlgeriaDZA0.60%293
32🇨🇴 ColombiaCOL0.57%279
33🇪🇸 SpainESP0.57%275
34🇻🇪 VenezuelaVEN0.54%264
35🇧🇩 BangladeshBGD0.52%255
36🇦🇪 UAEARE0.52%253
37🇵🇭 PhilippinesPHL0.51%247
38🇹🇲 TurkmenistanTKM0.44%215
39🇲🇲 MyanmarMMR0.43%209
40🇪🇹 EthiopiaETH0.43%209
41🇵🇪 PeruPER0.41%199
42🇺🇿 UzbekistanUZB0.38%187
43🇹🇿 TanzaniaTZA0.36%176
44🇺🇦 UkraineUKR0.35%169
45🇳🇱 NetherlandsNLD0.31%153
46🇰🇼 KuwaitKWT0.31%149
47🇧🇴 BoliviaBOL0.28%136
48🇦🇴 AngolaAGO0.27%134
49🇨🇲 CameroonCMR0.27%131
50🇸🇩 SudanSDN0.26%128
51🇶🇦 QatarQAT0.25%122
52🇹🇩 ChadTCD0.25%119
53🇿🇼 ZimbabweZWE0.24%117
54🇲🇿 MozambiqueMOZ0.24%115
55🇨🇿 Czech RepublicCZE0.22%106
56🇴🇲 OmanOMN0.22%106
57🇪🇨 EcuadorECU0.21%103
58🇱🇾 LibyaLBY0.21%102
59🇿🇲 ZambiaZMB0.20%96
60🇵🇾 ParaguayPRY0.20%95
61🇧🇪 BelgiumBEL0.19%95
62🇲🇦 MoroccoMAR0.19%92
63🇮🇱 IsraelISR0.18%89
64🇰🇵 North KoreaPRK0.18%87
65🇧🇾 BelarusBLR0.17%84
66🇲🇳 MongoliaMNG0.17%82
67🇰🇪 KenyaKEN0.17%81
68🇰🇭 CambodiaKHM0.16%77
69🇷🇴 RomaniaROU0.16%77
70🇬🇷 GreeceGRC0.15%72
71🇸🇬 SingaporeSGP0.14%70
72🇳🇿 New ZealandNZL0.14%68
73🇮🇪 IrelandIRL0.14%67
74🇸🇸 South SudanSSD0.13%64
75🇦🇹 AustriaAUT0.13%63
76🇷🇸 SerbiaSRB0.13%63
77🇺🇬 UgandaUGA0.13%61
78🇨🇮 Côte d'IvoireCIV0.12%61
79🇫🇮 FinlandFIN0.12%60
80🇧🇼 BotswanaBWA0.12%60
81🇧🇫 Burkina FasoBFA0.12%59
82🇭🇺 HungaryHUN0.12%59
83🇸🇾 SyriaSYR0.12%58
84🇨🇫 Central
African Republic
CAF0.12%58
85🇦🇿 AzerbaijanAZE0.12%57
86🇧🇭 BahrainBHR0.12%57
87🇵🇬 Papua
New Guinea
PNG0.11%55
88🇵🇹 PortugalPRT0.11%54
89🇳🇵 NepalNPL0.11%53
90🇳🇪 NigerNER0.11%53
91🇨🇱 ChileCHL0.11%52
92🇲🇱 MaliMLI0.10%47
93🇸🇧 Solomon IslandsSLB0.10%46
94🇩🇴 Dominican RepublicDOM0.09%45
95🇱🇦 LaosLAO0.09%45
96🇲🇬 MadagascarMDG0.09%43
97🇸🇴 SomaliaSOM0.09%43
98🇬🇹 GuatemalaGTM0.09%43
99🇬🇳 GuineaGIN0.09%43
100🇩🇰 DenmarkDNK0.09%43
101🇨🇭 SwitzerlandCHE0.08%41
102🇳🇮 NicaraguaNIC0.08%40
103🇸🇳 SenegalSEN0.08%39
104🇹🇳 TunisiaTUN0.08%39
105🇱🇰 Sri LankaLKA0.08%36
106🇺🇾 UruguayURY0.07%36
107🇯🇴 JordanJOR0.07%36
108🇸🇰 SlovakiaSVK0.07%35
109🇸🇪 SwedenSWE0.07%34
110🇦🇫 AfghanistanAFG0.07%33
111🇳🇴 NorwayNOR0.06%32
112🇨🇬 CongoCOG0.06%31
113🇨🇺 CubaCUB0.06%30
114🇭🇳 HondurasHND0.06%29
115🇾🇪 YemenYEM0.06%28
116🇧🇯 BeninBEN0.05%26
117🇹🇹 Trinidad
& Tobago
TTO0.05%24
118🇧🇦 Bosnia &
Herzegovina
BIH0.05%24
119🇵🇦 PanamaPAN0.05%24
120🇱🇹 LithuaniaLTU0.05%24
121🇳🇦 NamibiaNAM0.05%22
122🇬🇦 GabonGAB0.04%22
123🇲🇼 MalawiMWI0.04%21
124🇧🇬 BulgariaBGR0.04%20
125🇬🇾 GuyanaGUY0.04%20
126🇬🇪 GeorgiaGEO0.04%19
127🇹🇯 TajikistanTJK0.04%19
128🇱🇧 LebanonLBN0.04%18
129🇭🇷 CroatiaHRV0.04%18
130🇬🇭 GhanaGHA0.04%18
131🇪🇪 EstoniaEST0.04%18
132🇸🇮 SloveniaSVN0.03%16
133🇱🇷 LiberiaLBR0.03%15
134🇸🇻 El SalvadorSLV0.03%14
135🇰🇬 KyrgyzstanKGZ0.03%14
136🇲🇷 MauritaniaMRT0.03%14
137🇸🇷 SurinameSUR0.03%14
138🇲🇩 MoldovaMDA0.03%13
139🇬🇶 Equatorial GuineaGNQ0.02%12
140🇭🇹 HaitiHTI0.02%12
141🇧🇳 BruneiBRN0.02%12
142🇱🇻 LatviaLVA0.02%11
143🇦🇲 ArmeniaARM0.02%11
144🇹🇬 TogoTGO0.02%11
145🇲🇰 North MacedoniaMKD0.02%10
146🇸🇱 Sierra LeoneSLE0.02%10
147🇷🇼 RwandaRWA0.02%10
148🇯🇲 JamaicaJAM0.02%9
149🇨🇷 Costa RicaCRI0.02%9
150🇨🇾 CyprusCYP0.02%8
151🇧🇮 BurundiBDI0.02%8
152🇦🇱 AlbaniaALB0.02%8
153🇱🇺 LuxembourgLUX0.02%8
154🇪🇷 EritreaERI0.01%7
155🇲🇺 MauritiusMUS0.01%7
156🇧🇿 BelizeBLZ0.01%7
157🇹🇱 East TimorTLS0.01%6
158🇬🇼 Guinea-BissauGNB0.01%4
159🇱🇸 LesothoLSO0.01%4
160🇲🇪 MontenegroMNE0.01%4
161🇧🇧 BarbadosBRB0.01%4
162🇮🇸 IcelandISL0.01%3
163🇸🇿 EswatiniSWZ0.01%3
164🇧🇸 BahamasBHS0.01%3
165🇬🇲 GambiaGMB0.01%3
166🇲🇻 MaldivesMDV0.01%3
167🇬🇩 GrenadaGRD0.00%2
168🇲🇹 MaltaMLT0.00%2
169🇩🇯 DjiboutiDJI0.00%2
170🇦🇬 Antigua
& Barbuda
ATG0.00%2
171🇸🇨 SeychellesSYC0.00%1
172🇱🇨 Saint LuciaLCA0.00%1
173🇧🇹 BhutanBTN0.00%1
174🇰🇲 ComorosCOM0.00%1
175🇨🇻 Cabo VerdeCPV0.00%1
176🇻🇺 VanuatuVUT0.00%1
177🇼🇸 SamoaWSM0.00%1
178🇦🇩 AndorraAND0.00%1
179🇸🇹 São Tomé
& Principe
STP0.00%0.4
180🇰🇳 Saint Kitts
& Nevis
KNA0.00%0.4
181🇻🇨 Saint Vincent
& the Grenadines
VCT0.00%0.3
182🇹🇴 TongaTON0.00%0.3
183🇵🇼 PalauPLW0.00%0.2
184🇩🇲 DominicaDMA0.00%0.2
185🇲🇭 Marshall IslandsMHL0.00%0.2
186🇫🇲 MicronesiaFSM0.00%0.2
187🇱🇮 LiechtensteinLIE0.00%0.2
188🇰🇮 KiribatiKIR0.00%0.1
189🇨🇰 Cook IslandsCOK0.00%0.1
190🇳🇷 NauruNRU0.00%0.1
191🇹🇻 TuvaluTUV0.00%0.02
192🇳🇺 NiueNIU0.00%0.01
N/A🌎 WorldN/AN/A48,612

Meanwhile, at second place, the U.S. is responsible for another 11.5% of all emissions, with a population of 333 million people.

The two countries together account for 38% of the entire world’s emissions. This is slightly less than their share of the world economy (43%) and a lot more than their share of the world’s population (22%).

On a per capita basis, the U.S. produces almost double the emissions per person (14 tCO2e) compared to China (8 tCO2e).

Most of the top 10 emitters are also the world’s most populous countries, barring Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Canada.

Developing Countries Are Driving Emissions Growth

Another obvious takeaway from the chart is how middle-income countries are responsible for the largest share of emissions.

Before we can go into the why, there is also some simple arithmetic at play. For one, more countries are in the middle-income distribution than high- or low-income categories.

And many of these middle-income countries have large, growing populations, which increases aggregate emissions.

However, it is also true that they are driving global carbon emissions growth. And this is because:

  1. They are prioritizing economic development, leading to an overall increase in energy consumption (and related emissions).
  2. Most emissions-heavy industries and manufacturing plants have moved from high-income countries to middle- and low-income ones.
  3. Thus, high-income countries are able to sustain their consumption levels while the emissions from producing the goods they consume are accounted for elsewhere.

This last point is particularly crucial when it comes to emissions math. In fact, when accounting for these consumption-based emissions on a per capita basis, high-income countries are still responsible for a significant part of global carbon emissions.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Wondering what the same chart looks like, but with an economic lens? Check out: World’s Carbon Emissions by Sector for a similar breakdown.

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