List of countries by carbon intensity


The following list of countries by carbon intensity of GDP sorts countries by their emission intensity. Carbon intensity or emission intensity of GDP is a measure that evaluates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced per unit of GDP. It provides an indication of how efficiently an economy uses carbon-based resources to generate economic output. A lower carbon intensity indicates that less CO2 is emitted to produce a given level of economic output, indicating a more carbon-efficient economy.

List

Countries

Countries by carbon intensity of GDP. Carbon intensity is measured by emissions in kilograms per International dollar of economic output. Data are for the year 2022.
CountryCO2 kg/$
North Korea

World regions and income groups

Region / income groupCO2 kg/$
Upper-middle-income countries0.35
Asia0.33
Oceania0.29
World0.29
North America0.26
Lower-middle-income countries0.25
Africa0.22
High income countries0.22
Europe0.20
Low-income countries0.20
South America0.18

Historical development

Development of emissions in kilograms per international dollar of economic output in major countries over time.
Country20222010200019901980197019501900185018201950–2018
Argentina