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Environment · Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · High income

Saudi Arabia: environment and emissions

CO₂ per person is 18.48 t (2024), 8th of 203 in the world and 5th of 22 in the Middle East & North Africa. GHG per person is 23.76 t (2024), 10th of 203 in the world and 6th of 22 in the Middle East & North Africa. GHG emissions is 838.9 Mt (2024), 9th of 203 in the world and 2nd of 22 in the Middle East & North Africa.

CO₂ per person18.48 t2024 · world 8/203 · region 5/22GHG per person23.76 t2024 · world 10/203 · region 6/22GHG emissions838.9 Mt2024 · world 9/203 · region 2/22CO₂ emissions652.5 Mt2024 · world 8/203 · region 2/22
CO₂ per person
Saudi ArabiaMiddle East, North Africa, A…High incomeWorld
0.0102030199520002005201020152020Saudi Arabia18.48 tMiddle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanHigh incomeWorld
GHG per person
Saudi ArabiaMiddle East, North Africa, A…High incomeWorld
0.0102030199520002005201020152020Saudi Arabia23.76 tMiddle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanHigh incomeWorld
15 indicators

Environment: Saudi Arabia in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan; 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, tonnes18.48 t20248/2035/2216.40 t20.30 t18.29 t−11%since 20144.09 t9.75 t4.69 t
GHG per personGreenhouse gas emissions per person, t CO₂e23.76 t202410/2036/2221.65 t25.16 t23.46 t−6.7%since 20145.90 t12.50 t6.36 t
GHG emissionsTotal greenhouse gas emissions excl. land use, Mt CO₂e838.9 Mt20249/2032/22350.3 Mt603.3 Mt740.2 Mt+16%since 20144,768.6 Mt17,426.5 Mt53,206.4 Mt
CO₂ emissionsCO₂ emissions, total excl. land use, Mt652.5 Mt20248/2032/22265.2 Mt486.9 Mt577.1 Mt+11%since 20143,306.2 Mt13,596.6 Mt39,632.7 Mt
MethaneMethane emissions, Mt CO₂e113.1 Mt202417/2034/2272.4 Mt87.1 Mt107.0 Mt+12%since 20141,093.8 Mt2,534.1 Mt9,536.5 Mt
Renewable energyRenewable energy, % of final energy consumption0.1%2021205/21221/230.0%0.0%0.1%+0.1 ppsince 20117.5%12.8%19.7%
Renewable powerRenewable electricity, % of output0.1%2021200/20621/230.0%0.0%0.1%+0.1 ppsince 20116.3%26.7%27.8%
PM2.5 exposurePM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure, µg/m³73.5 µg/m³20232/2002/2362.6 µg/m³71.1 µg/m³68.4 µg/m³+0.7%since 201345.4 µg/m³13.0 µg/m³32.9 µg/m³
Forest coverForest area, % of land area1.3%2024195/21414/231.3%1.3%1.3%±0.0 ppsince 20142.2%36.2%31.1%
FarmlandAgricultural land, % of land area81.7%20246/2101/2380.8%80.8%80.8%+0.9 ppsince 201435.4%28.2%36.9%
Arable landArable land, % of land area2.0%2024169/20617/231.7%1.6%1.6%+0.4 ppsince 20147.2%9.0%10.7%
Protected areasTerrestrial and marine protected areas, % of territory17.0%202574/2133/23··4.5%−11.3 ppsince 20157.8%22.2%17.0%
Water withdrawalsFreshwater withdrawals, % of internal resources974.2%20225/1774/22819.8%914.5%974.2%+74.1 ppsince 2012148.3%6.4%9.0%
Freshwater per personRenewable internal freshwater per person, m³75 m³2022175/18316/23148 m³100 m³76 m³−19%since 2012431 m³10,983 m³5,393 m³
Cereal yieldCereal yield, kg per hectare5,105 kg/ha202441/1796/213,516 kg/ha5,508 kg/ha4,819 kg/ha−1.7%since 20143,027 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

Saudi Arabia and its neighbours

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

IndicatorSaudi ArabiaEgyptIranIraqYemenJordan
CO₂ per person18.48 t20242.50 t20249.05 t20245.18 t20240.26 t20242.09 t2024
GHG per person23.76 t20243.32 t202411.52 t20248.98 t20240.81 t20243.02 t2024
GHG emissions838.9 Mt2024386.6 Mt20241,054.8 Mt2024413.3 Mt202432.9 Mt202434.9 Mt2024
CO₂ emissions652.5 Mt2024291.6 Mt2024829.0 Mt2024238.7 Mt202410.6 Mt202424.1 Mt2024
Methane113.1 Mt202457.5 Mt2024175.7 Mt2024163.2 Mt202411.8 Mt20246.2 Mt2024
Renewable energy0.1%20216.1%20210.9%20211.1%20213.7%202111.5%2021
Renewable power0.1%202112.2%20214.2%20213.8%202110.3%202124.9%2021
PM2.5 exposure73.5 µg/m³202343.1 µg/m³202340.2 µg/m³202349.5 µg/m³202346.8 µg/m³202332.6 µg/m³2023
Forest cover1.3%20240.0%20246.6%20241.6%20241.0%20240.8%2024
Egypt: environmentIran: environmentIraq: environmentYemen: environmentJordan: environment
Environment in Middle East & North Africaall 23 economies rankedEnvironment: high-income countries86 economies rankedEnvironment: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesSaudi Arabia: all key statisticscountry profile