By Marcus Lu
The world’s biggest carbon emitters are dominated by the biggest economies, but what happens when we account for population?
Using information gathered by Our World in Data, we chart out the top 15 countries with the highest per capita carbon emissions (measured in tonnes of CO₂) in 2021.
Which Country Has the Highest Per Capita Carbon Emissions?
Qatar, ranked first, produced nearly 36 tonnes of CO₂ per resident in the country in 2021, well ahead of its peers in the top ranks.
Here’s the full list of per capita emissions by country, ranked from highest to lowest.
| Rank | Country/Territory | CO₂ per capita (t) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Qatar |
35.6 |
| 2 |  Bahrain |
26.7 |
| 3 |  Kuwait |
25.0 |
| 4 |  Trinidad& Tobago |
23.7 |
| 5 |  Brunei |
23.5 |
| 6 |  UAE |
21.8 |
| 7 |  New Caledonia |
19.1 |
| 8 |  Saudi Arabia |
18.7 |
| 9 |  Oman |
17.9 |
| 10 |  Australia |
15.1 |
Bahrain (26.7 tonnes), and Kuwait (25 tonnes), rank second and third respectively. The top three together signal a running theme: countries whose economies rely on fossil fuel exports heavily feature in the top 10 per capita carbon emitters including: Brunei (5th), UAE (6th), Saudi Arabia (8th), and Oman (9th).
Meanwhile, island nations and territories like New Caledonia (7th), Sint Maarten (13th), and Palau (16th) are also highly represented. Their smaller populations’ still-significant energy needs—usually met from burning fossil fuels—increase their per capita emissions. Trinidad & Tobago (4th) has another factor that contributes, as the Caribbean’s largest natural gas producer and second-largest oil producer.
On the other hand, ranked 11th, Mongolia’s annual CO₂ emissions have grown nearly 600% since 2000, largely driven by its agriculture sector.
Per capita numbers are just one part of the picture. For example, Trinidad and Tobago contributed only 0.1% to global emissions in 2021. But they help illustrate that residents in higher income countries emit more than 30 times the emissions from those in lower income countries.
