World CO2 emissions per capita, 1970 to 2024
World CO2 emissions per capita stood at 5 in 2024, up 0.3% on the previous period.
The world emitted 4.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person in 2024, against 4.7 the year before. The window's extremes are 4.8 tonnes in 2013 and 3.9 in 1994.
How it is measured
The figures come from the World Bank's World Development Indicators (indicator EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5), compiled from the EDGAR emissions database. The count covers carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes such as cement, excludes land use and forestry, and is divided by midyear population. Emissions are attributed to the country where they physically occur, so goods manufactured for export count against the producer, not the consumer.
What the curve shows
Per-person terms are the fairness lens of climate accounting: totals track population size as much as behavior, while this measure asks what each person's economy emits. The world's trajectory from 4.1 tonnes in 1970 to 4.7 in 2024 is still at or near its high, which usually means energy demand is growing faster than the grid is decarbonizing.
What is included in the figure?
Do imported goods count against my country?
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