The ABS population series places Australia’s resident population at roughly 26 million in the early 2020s. Combined with official national emissions totals, this population base is consistent with per-capita emissions in the high teens or above, depending on whether land use is included. It does not directly support a figure of 14.8 t CO2e per person for national greenhouse gas emissions.

The National Greenhouse Accounts site explains that it provides "detailed greenhouse gas emissions data since 1990" and that the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGGI) reports emissions in "million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2‑e)". It notes that the NGGI is the official basis for Australia’s emissions reporting under the UNFCCC, and includes data from which national and per capita emissions can be derived (total CO2‑e divided by population).

The report states that Australia’s greenhouse-gas emissions are 571.38 Mt CO2e in 2022 and 1.06% of the world total. Using Australia’s 2022 population of about 26.2 million, this implies roughly 21.8 t CO2e per person, not 14.8 t. The same report says global per-capita emissions in 2022 were 6.76 t CO2e.

The NSW state-of-environment report says that in 2018–19, Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions were 529 million tonnes CO2-e. It also says Australia’s per-capita emissions from fuel combustion were 15.3 tonnes CO2-e per person in 2019 and that Australia is one of the highest per-capita emitters in the world.

CSIRO explains: "The Australian Government tracks the nation's individual greenhouse gases emissions, as well as CO₂ equivalent through the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory." It notes that "According to the June 2023 update, Australia emitted 465.2 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent," and that this figure refers to total national emissions of CO2‑e. The page further clarifies that CO2‑equivalent is calculated from CO2, methane, nitrous oxide and synthetic greenhouse gases.

This Our World in Data dataset is titled "Per capita greenhouse gas emissions" and notes: "Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes per person of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale." It gives values in the unit "tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person" for each country and year from 1850–2024, with the latest update on 4 December 2025. By selecting Australia in the chart or downloading the data, one can obtain the most recent figure for Australia’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions in tCO₂e/person/year.

This country profile distinguishes between territorial CO2 emissions and broader greenhouse-gas emissions. It shows Australia’s per-capita emissions well above 14.8 t in recent years depending on metric and year, and explains that the exact value depends on whether land-use change and non-CO2 gases are included.

Our World in Data explains its per‑capita metric: "Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents per person." It states that these figures are based on countries’ greenhouse gas inventories (covering CO2, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases) and converted into CO2‑equivalent using global warming potentials. The data underlying the per‑capita series come from the PRIMAP-hist and EDGAR/UNFCCC databases.

The National Inventory Report 2021 notes that "Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions were 464.8 million tonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2‑e) in 2020–21." It explains that these are "total net emissions" under Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts and are reported in CO2‑e consistent with UNFCCC reporting guidelines. Dividing this 464.8 Mt CO2‑e by Australia’s population in 2020–21 (around 25.7 million) yields per‑capita emissions on the order of 18 tonnes CO2‑e per person per year.

Discussing territorial CO₂ emissions (not all greenhouse gases), Our World in Data states: "Australia has an average per capita footprint of 17 tonnes, followed by the US at 16.2 tonnes, and Canada at 15.6 tonnes." It notes that this figure refers to CO₂ emissions per person, obtained by dividing national CO₂ emissions by population. This provides a benchmark that Australia’s per‑capita territorial CO₂ emissions are on the order of the mid‑ to high‑teens tonnes per person per year, somewhat higher than many quoted ‘all‑GHG’ values in carbon‑dioxide equivalents.

The metadata for the Our World in Data grapher "co-emissions-per-capita" describes: "CO₂ emissions per capita are calculated by dividing emissions by population. They represent the average emissions per person in a country or region." It specifies that the data are for "Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes" and that the unit is "tonnes per person" with data up to 2024, based on the Global Carbon Budget (2025). Users can select Australia to see its latest per‑capita CO₂ value in tonnes per person per year.

TheGlobalEconomy.com reports CO2 emissions per capita (metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per capita) for OECD countries, using World Bank data. For 2023, it states: "The average for 2023 based on 38 countries was 6.42 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per capita." In the accompanying table of countries, Australia is listed with "Australia | 14.02 | 2" indicating 14.02 metric tons of CO2-equivalent per capita in 2023, making it the second highest among OECD countries after Canada (14.35 t). The definition clarifies: "Total annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) … standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values divided by the economy's population."

Statista’s dataset on "Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in OECD countries in 2023" states: "Australia had the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions of all OECD member countries in 2023, at 22 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e). Canadians were the second-worst carbon polluters that year, with average emissions of just over 20 tCO₂e/cap." The chart shows per capita greenhouse gas emissions (in metric tons of CO₂-equivalent) for each OECD member state.

Climate Action Tracker notes that Australia is "one of the highest per capita emitters among developed countries". It cites national greenhouse gas emissions of several hundred million tonnes CO2‑e per year and a population in the mid‑20‑millions, leading to per‑capita emissions in the mid‑ to high‑teens tonnes CO2‑e per person annually. The analysis is based on UNFCCC inventory data and Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

A working paper from The Australia Institute analysing greenhouse gas emissions in Australia compared with other OECD countries notes that "Australia's emissions of greenhouse gases are very high compared to other OECD countries." It reports that energy-related CO2 emissions per capita are "significantly higher than the OECD average" and states that when all greenhouse gases are taken into account, Australia’s total emissions per unit of GDP and per head of population are among the highest in the OECD. Historical figures in the paper show per‑capita CO2 emissions around 15.55 t CO2/person for certain years in the late 20th century, illustrating that Australia has long had per‑capita emissions in the mid‑teens or higher.

For 2022, Worldometer lists Australia’s CO2 emissions per capita at 15.01 tons per person and 2021 at 14.95 tons per person. This is close to the claimed 14.8 figure, but it is for CO2 emissions per capita, not greenhouse gas emissions per capita.

Australia’s commonly cited official greenhouse-gas inventory figures are usually around 500 Mt CO2-e annually in the early 2020s. With a population of about 26 million, that implies a national average in the high teens per person, and the exact number depends on whether land-use change and forestry are included.