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US vs Australia CO2 per capita
Australia overtook United States in 2008. In 1970 United States stood at roughly 174% of Australia’s CO2 per capita; today the figure is about 97%, and the pair was closest in 2022 (99%).
| Year | United States | Australia | Australia as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 12.85 | 22.41 | 174% |
| 1970 | 12.85 | 22.41 | 174% |
| 1980 | 15.13 | 21.04 | 139% |
| 1990 | 16.27 | 19.96 | 123% |
| 2000 | 18.6 | 21.01 | 113% |
| 2010 | 18.85 | 17.85 | 95% |
| 2020 | 15.3 | 13.47 | 88% |
| 2024 | 14.1 | 13.62 | 97% |
Frequently asked questions
When did Australia pass United States in CO2 per capita?
In 2008. Australia’s published CO2 per capita rose above United States’s that year and the lead has held since.
How do United States and Australia compare today?
Australia is ahead: 14.1 against 13.62 — the trailing economy stands at about 97% of the leader.
Are these CO2 per capita figures nominal or adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — metric tons per capita — with no interpolation or estimation for missing years.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: