Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes per person of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale. Source: Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Last updated December 4, 2025.

The OECD greenhouse gas footprint indicators dataset provides production-based and demand-based greenhouse gas emissions per capita for OECD countries, measured in tonnes of CO₂-equivalent per person. The dataset description notes that indicators include "production and demand-based emissions per capita" and are expressed in greenhouse gas (GHG) units (CO₂-equivalent), not just CO₂. The linked stats.oecd.org dataset (AIR_GHG) is the underlying source commonly used for charts of total greenhouse gas emissions per capita in OECD countries.

The first interactive chart shows per capita greenhouse gas emissions. This is measured as the sum of all greenhouse gases, and given by a metric called carbon dioxide equivalents. These figures reflect territorial emissions — emissions generated within a given country’s borders.

A chart titled "Total greenhouse gas emissions per capita in OECD countries – 2014, tonnes per capita" lists Australia with "22.239" tonnes per capita. The chart source is given as "Webpage: http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=AIR_GHG", indicating it uses OECD AIR_GHG data and that the figure is total greenhouse gas emissions (all Kyoto gases) expressed in tonnes of CO₂-equivalent per person. Other OECD countries such as the USA (21.547), Canada (20.509), and New Zealand (17.984) are shown for comparison for the same year.

A Statista chart titled "Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in OECD countries in 2023 (in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent)" 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)." The description repeats that "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)," confirming this is greenhouse gas emissions, not just CO₂. Canada is listed as the second-highest at "just over 20 tCO₂e/cap" in the same dataset.

Carbon Positive Australia, citing the Australian Government’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, states: "In the year to March 2023, our per capita emissions were 17.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent." It adds: "Australia has one of the highest greenhouse gas emissions per capita of all developed countries." The page attributes this figure to the "Quarterly Update of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: March 2023".

Victorians emit 12.3 tonnes (t) CO2-e per person on average. This is below the national average and the average of all states and territories other than Tasmania, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.

For one, Australia's domestic GHG emissions per capita are amongst the highest in the world. Australia is also one of the world's largest exporters of fossil fuels.

The GlobalEconomy.com dataset "Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita, 2023" defines its indicator as: "Total annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from the agriculture, energy, waste, and industrial sectors, excluding LULUCF, standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values divided by the economy's population." In the country table for 2023, Australia is listed with "Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita, 2023" equal to "14.02" metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per capita, ranking 2nd among OECD countries. The same table shows Canada at 14.35 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent per capita, indicating that the 14.02 figure for Australia refers specifically to CO₂ emissions converted to CO₂-equivalent units, not total GHG.

The World Resources Institute article on per‑capita greenhouse gas emissions notes that Australia was "the eighth highest per capita emitter in 2019".[8] It explains that this reflects high dependence on fossil fuels and other factors, and places Australia among countries whose per‑person emissions are in the low‑ to mid‑teens tonnes of CO₂‑equivalent annually.[8]

According to the June 2023 update, Australia emitted 465.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, which marked a 0.8 per cent increase as compared to June 2022. The Australian Government tracks the nation's individual greenhouse gases emissions, as well as CO2 equivalent through the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

An SBS News explainer using Our World in Data figures reports: "According to 2020 figures from Our World in Data – the most recently available per capita data – each person in Australia emits 15.4 tonnes of CO2 annually." The article emphasises that this is "CO2" emissions, stating "each person in Australia emits 15.4 tonnes of CO2 annually" and compares this to the world average of 4.47 tonnes, noting that Australia ranks as the highest emitter per capita among OECD member countries on this CO₂-only basis. The piece clarifies that this per capita figure is calculated by dividing a country's total CO₂ emissions by its population, distinguishing it from total greenhouse gas emissions metrics.

CO2 emissions per capita in Australia are equivalent to 14.43 tons per person, an increase by 0.07 over the figure of 14.36 CO2 tons per person registered the previous year.

CO2 emissions per capita in Australia. Total, 2023. 1.95 tCO2 per capita. Note that numbers shown below refer to CO2 emissions from fuel combustion in the energy sector. They do not include other important sources of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions such as methane leaks from oil and gas operations.

A research blog on "Convergence of CO2 emissions in OECD countries" notes that Australia and Canada "are among the biggest per capita emitters, along with the US and Luxembourg" in the sample of OECD countries studied. The study explains that it uses CO₂ per capita data from the Global Carbon Project, covering years 1960 to 2018 for 30 OECD countries, including Australia. While the blog focuses on convergence trends rather than specific current values, it reinforces that Australia's per capita CO₂ emissions are high relative to other OECD countries over the long term.

Worldometer’s "CO2 Emissions per Capita" table lists countries’ per-person CO2 emissions (not full GHG). For Australia it reports: "13. Australia 14.43" in the column "CO2 emissions per capita (tons)" along with global and country totals. This is a figure for territorial CO2 emissions per person, distinct from economy‑wide greenhouse gas emissions in CO2‑equivalent.

Australia, 293%, 14.21, 18.56, Positive decrease − ... |Australia|16.316|14.264|19.143|17.051|16.850|15.369|15.579|13.811|15.091| |−1.768|−11.35%|exporter|

An SBS Insight social media post on Australia's carbon footprint states: "Australia has one of the highest carbon footprints per person, 17 tons a year, triple the" global average. The post describes this "carbon footprint per person" in terms of tons per year and attributes Australia's high value to factors such as energy use and consumption, though it does not specify whether this 17-ton figure covers CO₂ alone or all greenhouse gases. The context suggests that the figure is an approximate estimate of per capita emissions, intended for public communication rather than as an official statistical value.

Background knowledge: Recent national greenhouse gas inventory figures for Australia in the mid‑2020s are in the range of roughly 400–450 Mt CO2‑e per year. With a population of about 26 million people, this implies per capita emissions on the order of 15–17 tonnes CO2‑equivalent per person per year, consistent with the 17.8 t CO2‑e per person figure reported for the year to March 2023 by Carbon Positive Australia and the Victorian government’s note that 12.3 t CO2‑e is below the national average.

A Reddit discussion thread titled "Total greenhouse gas emissions per capita in OECD countries" comments that "Australian emissions are significantly higher—about three times the global average and above the OECD average as well" and describes Australia as having "the highest among OECD nations". Participants reference charts showing Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions per capita around the low-20s tonnes CO₂-equivalent range, based on OECD AIR_GHG data, though exact numbers are not given in the thread text. The discussion highlights that Australia's per capita GHG emissions substantially exceed those of many other high-income countries, reinforcing its status as a top emitter in the OECD on a per-person basis.