Global greenhouse gas emissions
The release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and their increasing concentration in the atmosphere is causing climate change, one of the most important environmental issues of our time. This change has an impact on the environment, human health and the economy. The increase in GHG concentrations is primarily due to human activities, such as the use of fossil fuels. Greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere for periods ranging from a few years to thousands of years. As such, they have a worldwide impact, no matter where they were first emitted. This indicator highlights GHG emissions caused by human activity around the world.
Total global greenhouse gas emissions are the amount of emissions by an entire country or region, while per capita global greenhouse gas emissions are the amount of emissions an individual person emits in a particular country or region on average.
Global emissions
Global emissions
This indicator presents greenhouse gas emissions at the global level, both in terms of total emissions and per capita emissions.
Key results
- Between 2005 and 2024, global GHG emissions increased by 26.1%, from 39,800 to 50,200 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2 eq)
- Between 2005 and 2024, per capita global GHG emissions increased by 2.0%, from 6.05 to 6.17 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (t CO2 eq)
Global total greenhouse gas emissions and per capita greenhouse gas emissions, 1990 to 2024
Data table for the long description
| Year | Global emissions (megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) |
Per capita global emissions (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per person) |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 31,600 | 5.96 |
| 1991 | 31,800 | 5.90 |
| 1992 | 31,200 | 5.70 |
| 1993 | 31,400 | 5.64 |
| 1994 | 31,600 | 5.59 |
| 1995 | 32,300 | 5.63 |
| 1996 | 33,200 | 5.70 |
| 1997 | 33,400 | 5.65 |
| 1998 | 33,400 | 5.57 |
| 1999 | 34,000 | 5.59 |
| 2000 | 34,800 | 5.65 |
| 2001 | 35,000 | 5.60 |
| 2002 | 35,700 | 5.64 |
| 2003 | 37,300 | 5.82 |
| 2004 | 38,600 | 5.95 |
| 2005 | 39,800 | 6.05 |
| 2006 | 40,900 | 6.14 |
| 2007 | 41,700 | 6.18 |
| 2008 | 42,300 | 6.19 |
| 2009 | 41,700 | 6.03 |
| 2010 | 43,400 | 6.20 |
| 2011 | 44,800 | 6.32 |
| 2012 | 45,400 | 6.33 |
| 2013 | 45,800 | 6.30 |
| 2014 | 46,200 | 6.28 |
| 2015 | 46,500 | 6.25 |
| 2016 | 46,700 | 6.20 |
| 2017 | 47,600 | 6.25 |
| 2018 | 48,400 | 6.29 |
| 2019 | 48,400 | 6.22 |
| 2020 | 46,900 | 5.97 |
| 2021 | 48,900 | 6.17 |
| 2022 | 49,100 | 6.15 |
| 2023 | 49,700 | 6.16 |
| 2024 | 50,200 | 6.17 |
Download data file (Excel/CSV; 2 KB)
How this indicator was calculated
Source: Gütschow J et al. (2025) The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series (1750-2024) v2.7. World Bank (2025) World Development Indicators – Population, total
Global per capita emissions saw a notable low period (as low as 5.6 and a maximum of 5.7 t CO2 eq per person) between 1992 and 2002. The fall of the USSR contributed to this decrease because of its ensuing economic slowdowns in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.Footnote 1
Both total and per capita global GHG emissions saw a sharp increase from 2003 to 2007 (by 11.8% and 6.2%, respectively). This increase was partially driven by China's fossil-fuel powered economic growth and increased manufacturing during this period.Footnote 2 The global financial crisis in 2008 led to an economic slowdown, reductions in manufacturing and lower demand for electricity. This crisis influenced the decline of total and per capita emissions (by 1.4% and 2.6%, respectively) from 2008 to 2009.Footnote 3
The confinement measures introduced in many countries in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic created an industrial slowdown and reductions in trade and travel by air and land. These impacts contributed to a 3.10% decrease in total GHG emissions and a 4.02% decrease in per capita global GHG emissions from 2019 to 2020. Total global emissions then climbed above pre-pandemic levels (4.3% increase from 2020 to 2021), and per capita global emissions were almost as high as in 2019 (3.3% increase from 2020 to 2021).
In 2015, Canada and 194 other countries reached the Paris Agreement to limit the global average temperature rise to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C. Under the Agreement, Canada committed to reduce its GHG emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030. In 2021, Canada announced a commitment to cut its GHG emissions by 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030. In December 2024, Canada presented a 2035 GHG emission reduction target of 45% to 50% below 2005 levels.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, limiting global warming, as targeted by the Paris Agreement, demands continuous, rapid and significant transitions across all sectors. While many effective mitigation and adaptation options are already available, their effectiveness will diminish as temperatures rise, increasing the risk of losses and damages.
Canada is committed to implementing its strengthened climate plan (2030 Emissions Reduction Plan) and beginning work so that Canada can achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Emissions by country
Greenhouse gas emissions by country
This indicator presents total greenhouse gas emissions and per capita greenhouse gas emissions from Canada and the top 10 emitting countries and regions.
Key results
- In 2024, total emissions:
- were highest in China with 15,100 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2 eq), corresponding to 30.1% of global GHG emissions, up from 21.2% in 2005. Since 2005, emissions from China increased by 78.9%
- in Canada reached 691 Mt CO2 eq, which made up 1.4% of total global GHG emissions. This places Canada as the 13th largest emitter in the world
- In 2024, Canada's per capita emissions:
- were the third highest among the top 10 total emitting countries and regions, where Canada produced 16.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per person (t CO2 eq)
- decreased by 29.2% since 2005, from 23.6 to 16.7t CO2 eq per person
Total greenhouse gas emissions from Canada and the top 10 emitting countries and regions, 2005 and 2024
Data table for the long description
| Country or region | 2005 total greenhouse gas emissions (megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) |
2024 total greenhouse gas emissions (megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) |
|---|---|---|
| China | 8,440 | 15,100 |
| United States | 7,520 | 6,160 |
| India | 1,850 | 3,990 |
| European Union (27) [A] | 4,540 | 3,050 |
| Russian Federation | 1,960 | 2,140 |
| Brazil | 993 | 1,270 |
| Japan | 607 | 1,160 |
| Indonesia | 682 | 1,120 |
| Iran | 1,380 | 1,050 |
| Saudi Arabia | 432 | 854 |
| Canada | 762 | 691 |
[A] European Union (27) includes: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Download data file (Excel/CSV; 2 KB)
Note: Greenhouse gas emissions for each country and region presented in this comparison may differ from the official estimates of greenhouse gas emissions submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. For more information, please consult the Caveats and limitation section.
Source: Gütschow J et al. (2025) The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series (1750-2024) v2.7.
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions for Canada and the top 10 emitting countries and regions, 2005 and 2024
Data table for the long description
| Country or region | 2005 greenhouse gas emissions per capita (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) |
2024 greenhouse gas emissions per capita (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) |
|---|---|---|
| China | 6.47 | 10.72 |
| United States | 25.45 | 18.11 |
| India | 1.60 | 2.75 |
| European Union (27) [A] | 10.42 | 6.77 |
| Russian Federation | 13.66 | 14.91 |
| Brazil | 5.38 | 5.99 |
| Japan | 2.63 | 4.09 |
| Indonesia | 9.49 | 12.23 |
| Iran | 10.80 | 8.47 |
| Saudi Arabia | 21.01 | 24.19 |
| Canada | 23.63 | 16.74 |
[A] European Union (27) includes: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Download data file (Excel/CSV; 2 KB)
How this indicator is calculated
Source : Gütschow J et al. (2025) The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series (1750-2024) v2.7. World Bank (2025) World Development Indicators – Population, total.
In 2024, Canada ranked as the 13th largest GHG emitting country/region. Canada's share of global emissions decreased from 1.9% in 2005 to 1.4% in 2024. Like that of other economically developed countries, Canada’s share is anticipated to continue to decline due to the expected rapid increase in emissions from economically developing and emerging countries, particularly India (+115.7% from 2005 to 2024), China (+78.9%), Indonesia (+91.1%), and Brazil (+27.9%).
Canada's total emissions decreased by 9.3% (from 762 to 691 Mt CO2 eq) from 2005 to 2024. Other western countries and regions had a decrease, notably the United States with -18.1% (from 7,520 to 6,160 Mt CO2 eq) and the European Union with -32.8% (from 4,540 to 3,050 Mt CO2 eq).
Canada has the third highest GHG emission per capita rate among the top 10 emitting countries and regions. If Canada’s GHG emissions per year were shared equally by each person in Canada, each person would emit 16.7 t CO2 eq per year, which is almost 3 times the global rate. That is close to the same amount of GHG emissions released as someone driving around the world in a gasoline-powered car twice per year (about 73,358 km total).Footnote 4
Canada’s per capita emissions have decreased by 29.2% since 2005, while the United States' have decreased by 28.8% and the European Union's by 35.0%. The 3 countries in the top 10 total emitters with the lowest GHG emissions per capita are India (2.7 t CO2 eq), Indonesia (4.1 t CO2 eq) and Brazil (6.0 t CO2 eq).
About the indicator
About the indicator
What the indicator measures
The Global greenhouse gas emissions indicator reports global human emissions of GHGs from 1990 to 2024. The indicator also reports emissions coming from the top 10 total emitting countries and regions, as well as Canada, for 2005 and 2024. The indicator measures both total and per capita emissions. Emissions from energy and non-energy related sources are included in this indicator, while emissions from land use, land use change, and forestry are excluded. The emissions of GHGs include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulphur hexafluoride.
Why this indicator is important
The indicator provides a global perspective on the world's historical GHG emissions and Canada's part in global GHG emissions, both in total and per capita.
Related indicators
The Greenhouse gas emissions indicator reports trends in total anthropogenic (human-made) GHG emissions at the national level, per person and per unit gross domestic product, by province and territory, and by economic sector.
The Greenhouse gas emissions from large facilities indicator reports GHG emissions from the largest GHG emitters in Canada (industrial and other types of facilities).
The Greenhouse gas emissions projections indicator provides an overview of Canada's projected GHG emissions up to 2035.
The Greenhouse gas emissions from a consumption perspective indicator shows the impact of Canada's consumption of goods and services, regardless of where they are produced, on the levels of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
The Land-based greenhouse gas emissions and removals indicator tracks exchanges of greenhouse gas emissions and removals between the atmosphere and Canada's managed lands.
Data sources and methods
Data sources and methods
Data sources
The greenhouse gas emissions data used to compile the Global greenhouse gas emissions indicator were retrieved from the PRIMAP-hist dataset. This dataset integrates emissions information from various sources into consistent national estimates. The indicator is based on the version 2.7 of the dataset, published in August 2025.
The population data used to calculate the GHG emissions per capita were retrieved from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators.
More information
The PRIMAP-hist dataset uses information and emissions from different sources. Data that individual countries report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are prioritized (Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data, Biennial Update Report submissions from Non-Annex I Parties, as well as their National Communication submissions from Non-Annex I Parties|UNFCCC). Gaps in the country reported data are filled using third party data such as:
- Robbie M. Andrew for global and country-level CO2 emissions from cement production
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for Land Use Change and Forestry Data
- Energy Institute for their Statistical Review of World Energy
- Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center for their historic emissions data
- Community Emissions Data System for their Emission Data
- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research for their GHG emissions of all world countries
- Representative Concentration Pathways for their greenhouse gas concentrations and their extensions from 1765 to 2300
The PRIMAP-hist dataset covers anthropogenic GHG emissions across the world, excluding emissions attributed to land use, land use change, and forestry. The latest year available at the time of the update was 2024.
Methods
The indicator is composed of the total and per capita GHG emission totals for the world from 1990 to 2024, and total and per capita GHG emissions for Canada and the top 10 emitting countries/regions for 2005 and 2024, as retrieved from the PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series.
More information
The national GHG emission totals int the PRIMAP-hist are compiled by using multiple GHG emissions data sources. The selection of these data sources is done using different completeness criteria like geographic coverage, temporal coverage, and accuracy. For more information on the data sources selection and the national and global emissions compilation consult the PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series.
Emissions are reported for the main greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). These gases are expressed in equivalent (CO2 eq) determined by multiplying the amount of emissions of a particular gas by its global warming potential. The PRIMAP-hist dataset uses the 100-year global warming potentials from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fifth Assessment Report.
Greenhouse gas emissions per capita are determined by dividing a country/region's total greenhouse gas emissions by its population.
Recent changes
The data source for the indicator has been updated since the previous version. The indicator now uses the PRIMAP-hist dataset, replacing the Climate Watch Country Historical Greenhouse Gas Emissions dataset. This change was made to improve alignment with national inventory reporting and ensure greater consistency in emission trends, while maintaining international comparability across countries. Note that the most recent estimates from the PRIMAP-hist dataset are also presented on the Climate Watch platform.
Caveats and limitations
The years 2020 and 2021 coincide with the first and second years of the COVID-19 pandemic which affected a wide range of economic sectors, including the energy and transport sectors. The trends presented must be interpreted in the context of the economic slowdown that influenced results from 2019 to 2020, and the economic rebound that influenced them from 2020 to 2022.
The emissions in the PRIMAP-hist national emissions time series dataset reflect recalculations which are performed annually on previously reported GHG emissions estimates to reflect updates to source data and estimation methodology. The emissions reported by the World Resources Institute are also different from the emissions reported by member countries in their National Inventory Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
More information
Due to the differences in data sources and methodologies used, PRIMAP-hist estimated country GHG emissions may be different than official inventories prepared by countries. Caution is advised when comparing data released in different years and reports.
Emissions from international bunker fuels (which are estimated based on the location of marine and aviation refueling) are not reflected in reported countries and regions emissions totals. However, they are included in the total world emissions.
Greenhouse gas data in the PRIMAP-hist dataset have uncertainties since they are using many different data sources. Despite the uncertainties the dataset aims to provide comprehensive coverage, by capturing the widest possible range of GHG sources and sinks that contribute to global climate change. For more information on uncertainties please consult the PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series methodology.
Resources
Resources
References
Gütschow J, Busch D and Pflüger M (2025)The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series (1750-2024) v2.7 . Retrieved on June 25, 2026.
Gütschow J, Jeffery ML, Gieseke R, Gebel R, Stevens D, Krapp M and Rocha M (2016): The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series , Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 8, 571-603. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2013) Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . Retrieved on June 25, 2026.
PRIMAP (2025) The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions website . Retrieved on June 25, 2026.
World Bank (2025) World Development Indicators . Retrieved on June 25, 2026.
World Resources Institute (2026) Climate Watch platform. Retrieved on June 25, 2026.
Related information
Canada's action on climate change
Alternative Format
Download the alternative format of the Global greenhouse gas emissions indicator (PDF; 696 KB).