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Countries by CO₂ Per Capita 2026

Qatar leads all nations in CO2 emissions per capita with 35.60 t, compared to DR Congo at 0.04 t — a 890.0-fold difference across 113 countries. The global median CO2 emissions per capita is 4.00 t, meaning half the world's nations fall below this threshold. The top-ranked country's CO2 emissions per capita exceeds the global median by 790.0%, illustrating the substantial concentration found in the upper tier of this ranking. The spread between the 1st-ranked and last-ranked countries underscores the wide variation in CO2 emissions per capita across nations at different stages of development. Data reflects Global Carbon Project data compiled by the World Bank.

Rank↑Country↕tonnes↕
1Flag of QatarQatar35.60 t
2Flag of BahrainBahrain25.70 t
3Flag of KuwaitKuwait24.90 t
#4Flag of Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago23.50 t
#5Flag of United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates21.80 t
#6Flag of BruneiBrunei21.40 t
#7Flag of Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia18.20 t
#8Flag of AustraliaAustralia15.00 t
#9Flag of United StatesUnited States14.90 t
#10Flag of CanadaCanada14.30 t
#11Flag of KazakhstanKazakhstan14.20 t
#12Flag of LuxembourgLuxembourg13.40 t
#13Flag of OmanOman13.30 t
#14Flag of RussiaRussia12.10 t
#15Flag of South KoreaSouth Korea11.90 t
#16Flag of TaiwanTaiwan11.60 t
#17Flag of TurkmenistanTurkmenistan11.10 t
#18Flag of IcelandIceland9.50 t
#19Flag of CzechiaCzechia9.20 t
#20Flag of LibyaLibya9.10 t
#21Flag of JapanJapan8.50 t
#22Flag of IranIran8.50 t
#23Flag of SingaporeSingapore8.50 t
#24Flag of GermanyGermany8.10 t
#25Flag of PolandPoland8.00 t
#26Flag of EstoniaEstonia8.00 t
#27Flag of MalaysiaMalaysia7.90 t
#28Flag of BelgiumBelgium7.80 t
#29Flag of ChinaChina7.70 t
#30Flag of South AfricaSouth Africa7.50 t
#31Flag of NorwayNorway7.50 t
#32Flag of NetherlandsNetherlands7.40 t
#33Flag of IrelandIreland7.20 t
#34Flag of IsraelIsrael7.10 t
#35Flag of MongoliaMongolia7.10 t
#36Flag of AustriaAustria7.00 t
#37Flag of FinlandFinland7.00 t
#38Flag of New ZealandNew Zealand6.20 t
#39Flag of SloveniaSlovenia6.00 t
#40Flag of SlovakiaSlovakia5.90 t
#41Flag of SerbiaSerbia5.90 t
#42Flag of ItalyItaly5.70 t
#43Flag of BulgariaBulgaria5.70 t
#44Flag of BelarusBelarus5.60 t
#45Flag of CyprusCyprus5.40 t
#46Flag of United KingdomUnited Kingdom5.20 t
#47Flag of SpainSpain5.20 t
#48Flag of DenmarkDenmark4.80 t
#49Flag of FranceFrance4.70 t
#50Flag of TurkeyTurkey4.70 t
#51Flag of IraqIraq4.50 t
#52Flag of Hong KongHong Kong4.40 t
#53Flag of ChileChile4.30 t
#54Flag of UkraineUkraine4.30 t
#55Flag of LithuaniaLithuania4.20 t
#56Flag of SwitzerlandSwitzerland4.00 t
#57Flag of CroatiaCroatia4.00 t
#58Flag of VenezuelaVenezuela3.90 t
#59Flag of ArgentinaArgentina3.80 t
#60Flag of LebanonLebanon3.80 t
#61Flag of ThailandThailand3.70 t
#62Flag of RomaniaRomania3.70 t
#63Flag of AlgeriaAlgeria3.70 t
#64Flag of MexicoMexico3.60 t
#65Flag of LatviaLatvia3.60 t
#66Flag of SwedenSweden3.50 t
#67Flag of VietnamVietnam3.50 t
#68Flag of MaltaMalta3.40 t
#69Flag of UzbekistanUzbekistan3.40 t
#70Flag of AzerbaijanAzerbaijan3.30 t
#71Flag of PanamaPanama2.70 t
#72Flag of GeorgiaGeorgia2.70 t
#73Flag of JordanJordan2.60 t
#74Flag of TunisiaTunisia2.60 t
#75Flag of EgyptEgypt2.40 t
#76Flag of BrazilBrazil2.30 t
#77Flag of IndonesiaIndonesia2.30 t
#78Flag of EcuadorEcuador2.30 t
#79Flag of JamaicaJamaica2.30 t
#80Flag of Dominican RepublicDominican Republic2.10 t
#81Flag of ArmeniaArmenia2.10 t
#82Flag of UruguayUruguay2.00 t
#83Flag of CubaCuba2.00 t
#84Flag of IndiaIndia1.90 t
#85Flag of ColombiaColombia1.80 t
#86Flag of BoliviaBolivia1.80 t
#87Flag of MoroccoMorocco1.80 t
#88Flag of Costa RicaCosta Rica1.70 t
#89Flag of PeruPeru1.60 t
#90Flag of KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan1.60 t
#91Flag of PhilippinesPhilippines1.30 t
#92Flag of GuatemalaGuatemala1.10 t
#93Flag of El SalvadorEl Salvador1.10 t
#94Flag of Sri LankaSri Lanka1.00 t
#95Flag of ParaguayParaguay1.00 t
#96Flag of HondurasHonduras1.00 t
#97Flag of PakistanPakistan0.90 t
#98Flag of NicaraguaNicaragua0.80 t
#99Flag of SenegalSenegal0.70 t
#100Flag of TajikistanTajikistan0.70 t
#101Flag of NigeriaNigeria0.60 t
#102Flag of BangladeshBangladesh0.60 t
#103Flag of GhanaGhana0.60 t
#104Flag of MyanmarMyanmar0.50 t
#105Flag of KenyaKenya0.40 t
#106Flag of NepalNepal0.40 t
#107Flag of HaitiHaiti0.30 t
#108Flag of EthiopiaEthiopia0.20 t
#109Flag of TanzaniaTanzania0.20 t
#110Flag of MozambiqueMozambique0.20 t
#111Flag of MadagascarMadagascar0.20 t
#112Flag of UgandaUganda0.10 t
#113Flag of DR CongoDR Congo0.04 t

Top Countries Analysis

Qatar (35.60 t) leads all nations in CO2 emissions per capita. The gap between Qatar and the 2nd-ranked Bahrain (25.70 t) is 38.5%, a difference that reflects deep structural advantages rather than marginal variation. Bahrain itself sits 3.2% ahead of 3rd-ranked Kuwait (24.90 t), indicating that the top tier is not a cluster but a graduated hierarchy. Kuwait leads 4th-placed Trinidad and Tobago (23.50 t) by 6.0%. Rounding out the top five, United Arab Emirates records 21.80 t, sitting 7.8% behind Trinidad and Tobago. Collectively, these five countries account for 19.8% of the total CO2 emissions per capita measured across all 113 ranked nations, highlighting how concentrated this metric is at the top of the distribution.

Global Distribution

The median CO2 emissions per capita across all 113 countries is 4.00 t, meaning half the world's nations fall below this threshold. The mean CO2 emissions per capita of 5.89 tonnes is above the median, indicating a right-skewed distribution driven by high-value outliers pulling the average away from the center of the distribution. The interquartile range spans from 7.70 t at the 25th percentile to 1.80 t at the 75th percentile, a -76.6% spread that captures the typical variation among the middle half of all ranked countries. Countries at the 25th percentile, represented by China (7.70 t), stand substantially below the median, while countries near the 75th percentile, such as Colombia (1.80 t), approach the upper quarter of the ranking. This distributional shape has important implications for global policy comparisons: simple averages overstate the typical country's CO2 emissions per capita when the distribution is right-skewed, and the median provides a more representative benchmark for most nations.

Regional Breakdown

Regional patterns in CO2 emissions per capita are pronounced. Other accounts for 6 of the top 10 countries by CO2 emissions per capita, led by Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait. The full top-10 regional distribution is: Other: 6, Americas: 2, Asia: 1, Oceania: 1. At the other end of the ranking, Africa represents 7 of the bottom 10 countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania. The bottom-10 regional breakdown is: Africa: 7, Other: 1, Asia: 1, Americas: 1. These geographic concentrations reflect underlying structural factors including historical development trajectories, geographic endowments, and regional integration, rather than any single policy variable.

Bottom of the Rankings

DR Congo's CO2 emissions per capita of 0.04 t is 99.0% below the global median of 4.00 t. Uganda's CO2 emissions per capita of 0.10 t is 97.5% below the global median of 4.00 t. Madagascar's CO2 emissions per capita of 0.20 t is 95.0% below the global median of 4.00 t. The bottom of the CO2 emissions per capita ranking is predominantly shaped by nations with low levels of industrial activity and fossil fuel consumption, often reflecting limited energy access rather than deliberate climate policy. These low positions do not necessarily reflect recent decline; in many cases they represent long-standing structural conditions that change slowly. Policy interventions, international aid, and regional cooperation have produced meaningful improvements in some bottom-ranked countries over the past two decades, even when those improvements are not yet sufficient to move them out of the lowest tier.

Data Methodology

CO2 emissions per capita measures the total carbon dioxide emitted from fossil fuel combustion and cement production within a country, divided by the midyear population, expressed in metric tonnes per person. Data is sourced from the World Bank WDI database, which draws on the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) and Global Carbon Project estimates. Emissions are attributed to the country where fuel is burned (production-based accounting), not where goods are ultimately consumed, which means large manufacturing exporters may appear higher than countries that import manufactured goods. Land-use change emissions, such as deforestation, are excluded from this indicator. Per capita figures normalize for population size but can be misleading for very small or very large nations. Data typically lags the reference year by two to three years due to the time required to compile energy balance statistics from national sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has the highest CO2 emissions per capita?

Qatar has the highest CO2 emissions per capita among all ranked countries, at 35.60 t. This places it 38.5% ahead of 2nd-ranked Bahrain (25.70 t). The gap between the top-ranked country and the global median of 4.00 t is 790.0%, underscoring how far Qatar exceeds the typical nation on this measure. Data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators database.

What is the global average CO2 emissions per capita?

The global mean CO2 emissions per capita across all 113 ranked countries is 5.89 tonnes. However, the mean is above the median of 4.00 t, indicating the distribution is right-skewed by high-value outliers. For most comparative purposes, the median is a more representative central value because it is not distorted by extreme top or bottom observations. The 25th percentile sits at 7.70 t and the 75th percentile at 1.80 t.

How many countries are ranked by CO2 emissions per capita?

This ranking includes 113 countries for which sufficient CO2 emissions per capita data is available from the World Bank World Development Indicators database. Countries are excluded when data is missing for the most recent available year, which can occur for small territories, countries in conflict, or states with limited statistical capacity. The full global count of UN member states is 193, and additional territories may be included or excluded depending on data availability for each specific indicator. Rankings are updated as new World Bank data is released, typically on an annual cycle.

What is the CO2 emissions per capita of the lowest-ranked country?

DR Congo records the lowest CO2 emissions per capita among all 113 ranked countries, at 0.04 t. This is 99.0% below the global median of 4.00 t. The gap between the highest-ranked country (Qatar at 35.60 t) and DR Congo represents a 890.0-fold difference, illustrating the extraordinary breadth of global variation in CO2 emissions per capita. Low-ranked countries on most indicators face structural constraints including limited infrastructure, historical underdevelopment, or geographic disadvantage.

How does CO2 emissions per capita vary across regions?

Regional variation in CO2 emissions per capita is substantial. Among the top 10 countries, the dominant regions are Other (6 countries), Americas (2 countries), Asia (1 countries). Other holds the largest share with 6 countries in the top 10. Among the bottom 10, the most represented regions are Africa (7 countries), Other (1 countries), Asia (1 countries), with Africa accounting for 7 of those positions. These regional concentrations reflect accumulated differences in economic development, geographic endowments, governance quality, and integration into global trade networks. Regional averages should be interpreted carefully, as within-region variation can be as wide as cross-region variation for many indicators.

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Data: World Bank Open Data · Last updated March 2026 · 113 countries ranked