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Environment · East Asia & Pacific · Upper-middle income

Malaysia: environment and emissions

CO₂ per person is 8.32 t (2024), 26th of 203 in the world and 8th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific. GHG per person is 9.34 t (2024), 35th of 203 in the world and 10th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific. GHG emissions is 332.2 Mt (2024), 28th of 203 in the world and 8th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific.

CO₂ per person8.32 t2024 · world 26/203 · region 8/37GHG per person9.34 t2024 · world 35/203 · region 10/37GHG emissions332.2 Mt2024 · world 28/203 · region 8/37CO₂ emissions296.0 Mt2024 · world 19/203 · region 7/37
CO₂ per person
MalaysiaEast Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
0.02.55.07.510199520002005201020152020Malaysia8.32 tEast Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
GHG per person
MalaysiaEast Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
0.02.55.07.510199520002005201020152020Malaysia9.34 tEast Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
15 indicators

Environment: Malaysia 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, tonnes8.32 t202426/2038/375.69 t7.52 t7.47 t+1.6%since 20147.35 t6.38 t4.69 t
GHG per personGreenhouse gas emissions per person, t CO₂e9.34 t202435/20310/376.87 t8.75 t8.52 t−0.2%since 20149.06 t8.33 t6.36 t
GHG emissionsTotal greenhouse gas emissions excl. land use, Mt CO₂e332.2 Mt202428/2038/37157.9 Mt250.8 Mt288.9 Mt+16%since 201421,426.8 Mt25,498.1 Mt53,206.4 Mt
CO₂ emissionsCO₂ emissions, total excl. land use, Mt296.0 Mt202419/2037/37130.8 Mt215.5 Mt253.1 Mt+18%since 201417,388.8 Mt19,521.7 Mt39,632.7 Mt
MethaneMethane emissions, Mt CO₂e26.3 Mt202461/20313/3720.9 Mt25.2 Mt25.7 Mt+5.7%since 20142,697.1 Mt4,229.1 Mt9,536.5 Mt
Renewable energyRenewable energy, % of final energy consumption7.5%2021159/21223/374.4%2.0%7.0%+5.3 ppsince 201114.8%16.8%19.7%
Renewable powerRenewable electricity, % of output17.0%2021125/20618/3510.9%6.2%17.6%+10.3 ppsince 201125.9%29.3%27.8%
PM2.5 exposurePM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure, µg/m³15.9 µg/m³2023110/20012/3322.6 µg/m³14.6 µg/m³13.7 µg/m³−19%since 201327.3 µg/m³26.7 µg/m³32.9 µg/m³
Forest coverForest area, % of land area57.7%202437/21413/3559.9%57.7%58.4%−1.3 ppsince 201427.3%29.2%31.1%
FarmlandAgricultural land, % of land area24.8%2024135/21015/3622.1%24.1%25.7%−0.5 ppsince 201446.8%42.8%36.9%
Arable landArable land, % of land area2.6%2024163/20620/342.6%2.6%2.8%+0.1 ppsince 20148.7%9.8%10.7%
Protected areasTerrestrial and marine protected areas, % of territory8.4%2025125/21316/36··7.5%−0.5 ppsince 201522.0%12.8%17.0%
Water withdrawalsFreshwater withdrawals, % of internal resources1.2%2022149/17717/201.0%1.0%1.2%+0.1 ppsince 201212.1%8.9%9.0%
Freshwater per personRenewable internal freshwater per person, m³16,717 m³202236/18310/2325,253 m³20,240 m³17,114 m³−15%since 20124,306 m³6,090 m³5,393 m³
Cereal yieldCereal yield, kg per hectare3,544 kg/ha202482/17914/243,064 kg/ha3,636 kg/ha3,654 kg/ha−23%since 20145,430 kg/ha4,942 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

Malaysia and its neighbours

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

IndicatorMalaysiaIndonesiaPhilippinesThailandSingaporeBrunei
CO₂ per person8.32 t20242.87 t20241.50 t20243.96 t20249.75 t202420.24 t2024
GHG per person9.34 t20244.67 t20242.30 t20245.89 t202412.60 t202425.64 t2024
GHG emissions332.2 Mt20241,323.8 Mt2024266.6 Mt2024422.4 Mt202476.1 Mt202411.9 Mt2024
CO₂ emissions296.0 Mt2024812.2 Mt2024174.1 Mt2024283.8 Mt202458.9 Mt20249.4 Mt2024
Methane26.3 Mt2024429.5 Mt202469.3 Mt202481.1 Mt20244.8 Mt20241.8 Mt2024
Renewable energy7.5%202120.2%202128.0%202119.0%20211.1%20210.0%2021
Renewable power17.0%202115.5%202122.6%202119.9%20214.0%20210.0%2021
PM2.5 exposure15.9 µg/m³202320.8 µg/m³202322.2 µg/m³202323.5 µg/m³202315.1 µg/m³20237.6 µg/m³2023
Forest cover57.7%202450.7%202424.8%202438.7%202421.8%202472.1%2024
Indonesia: environmentPhilippines: environmentThailand: environmentSingapore: environmentBrunei: environment
Environment in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedEnvironment: upper-middle-income countries59 economies rankedEnvironment: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesMalaysia: all key statisticscountry profile