Global CO₂ emissions per capita 1975-2023, by select country

Qatar had the highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions worldwide in 2023, at 42.6 metric tons per person. Per capita emissions in Qatar have remained relatively stable in recent years, but have fallen notably since the mid-2000s.
In 1985, the tiny Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao had the highest CO₂ emissions per capita in the world, at 90 metric tons, but by 2020, this figure had fallen to just 10 metric tons per person. 

Greenhouse gas emissions worldwide

Several of the Middle East’s largest oil producing countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, are among the world’s largest per capita CO₂ emitters. Per capita emissions in Saudi Arabia have experienced a growth of roughly 75 percent since 1990. Canada is another major oil producing country with high CO₂ emissions per capita.

Rising emissions

Global greenhouse gas emissions have been on the rise since the industrial revolution began approximately 200 years ago. However, over the past 50 years CO₂ emissions have skyrocketed, and are projected to have reached a new record high in 2024.