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Environment · East Asia & Pacific · High income

Australia: environment and emissions

CO₂ per person is 14.10 t (2024), 12th of 203 in the world and 4th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific. GHG per person is 21.75 t (2024), 11th of 203 in the world and 4th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific. GHG emissions is 591.5 Mt (2024), 14th of 203 in the world and 5th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific.

CO₂ per person14.10 t2024 · world 12/203 · region 4/37GHG per person21.75 t2024 · world 11/203 · region 4/37GHG emissions591.5 Mt2024 · world 14/203 · region 5/37CO₂ emissions383.4 Mt2024 · world 17/203 · region 6/37
CO₂ per person
AustraliaEast Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
0.05.0101520199520002005201020152020Australia14.10 tEast Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
GHG per person
AustraliaEast Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
0.0102030199520002005201020152020Australia21.75 tEast Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
15 indicators

Environment: Australia in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
CO₂ per personCO₂ emissions per capita, tonnes14.10 t202412/2034/3718.60 t18.85 t15.30 t−17%since 20147.35 t9.75 t4.69 t
GHG per personGreenhouse gas emissions per person, t CO₂e21.75 t202411/2034/3728.68 t27.18 t22.60 t−15%since 20149.06 t12.50 t6.36 t
GHG emissionsTotal greenhouse gas emissions excl. land use, Mt CO₂e591.5 Mt202414/2035/37545.7 Mt598.8 Mt579.5 Mt−1.0%since 201421,426.8 Mt17,426.5 Mt53,206.4 Mt
CO₂ emissionsCO₂ emissions, total excl. land use, Mt383.4 Mt202417/2036/37353.9 Mt415.3 Mt392.5 Mt−3.3%since 201417,388.8 Mt13,596.6 Mt39,632.7 Mt
MethaneMethane emissions, Mt CO₂e144.6 Mt202412/2033/37141.8 Mt135.9 Mt132.9 Mt+0.4%since 20142,697.1 Mt2,534.1 Mt9,536.5 Mt
Renewable energyRenewable energy, % of final energy consumption12.3%2021130/21217/378.4%8.2%11.2%+4.0 ppsince 201114.8%12.8%19.7%
Renewable powerRenewable electricity, % of output26.7%202194/20611/358.5%8.6%22.6%+16.3 ppsince 201125.9%26.7%27.8%
PM2.5 exposurePM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure, µg/m³6.4 µg/m³2023181/20022/336.2 µg/m³5.3 µg/m³6.8 µg/m³+7.5%since 201327.3 µg/m³13.0 µg/m³32.9 µg/m³
Forest coverForest area, % of land area17.4%2024138/21431/3517.3%17.1%17.3%+0.2 ppsince 201427.3%36.2%31.1%
FarmlandAgricultural land, % of land area47.3%202468/2104/3659.3%49.0%46.3%−1.5 ppsince 201446.8%28.2%36.9%
Arable landArable land, % of land area4.1%2024145/20616/343.1%3.3%4.0%−0.1 ppsince 20148.7%9.0%10.7%
Protected areasTerrestrial and marine protected areas, % of territory33.5%202522/2135/36··30.4%+4.8 ppsince 201522.0%22.2%17.0%
Water withdrawalsFreshwater withdrawals, % of internal resources2.4%2022127/17714/204.4%2.7%1.7%−0.9 ppsince 201212.1%6.4%9.0%
Freshwater per personRenewable internal freshwater per person, m³18,909 m³202232/1837/2325,856 m³22,331 m³19,182 m³−13%since 20124,306 m³10,983 m³5,393 m³
Cereal yieldCereal yield, kg per hectare2,690 kg/ha202497/17917/241,961 kg/ha2,060 kg/ha2,516 kg/ha+35%since 20145,430 kg/ha5,394 kg/ha4,229 kg/ha
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Australia and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Australia. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorAustraliaIndonesiaPapua New GuineaNew ZealandTimor-LesteSolomon Islands
CO₂ per person14.10 t20242.87 t20240.52 t20246.01 t20240.50 t20240.38 t2024
GHG per person21.75 t20244.67 t20241.02 t202414.71 t20241.39 t20240.76 t2024
GHG emissions591.5 Mt20241,323.8 Mt202410.8 Mt202477.8 Mt20241.9 Mt20240.6 Mt2024
CO₂ emissions383.4 Mt2024812.2 Mt20245.5 Mt202431.8 Mt20240.7 Mt20240.3 Mt2024
Methane144.6 Mt2024429.5 Mt20243.7 Mt202434.4 Mt20241.0 Mt20240.3 Mt2024
Renewable energy12.3%202120.2%202154.6%202228.9%202111.4%202250.1%2022
Renewable power26.7%202115.5%202140.0%202181.5%20210.4%20216.6%2021
PM2.5 exposure6.4 µg/m³202320.8 µg/m³202314.1 µg/m³20236.9 µg/m³202312.0 µg/m³20239.8 µg/m³2023
Forest cover17.4%202450.7%202475.2%202438.9%202471.0%202489.8%2024
Indonesia: environmentPapua New Guinea: environmentNew Zealand: environmentTimor-Leste: environmentSolomon Islands: environment
Environment in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedEnvironment: high-income countries86 economies rankedEnvironment: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesAustralia: all key statisticscountry profile