Australia: Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Australia's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) fell 3.3% on 2023 (from 35.25 to 34.1).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +2.4% and a typical year strayed about 9.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 39% in 1974 and the biggest yearly fall was 12.8% in 2002. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.75 a year. A straight line explains 43% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Australia had the 16th highest value of the 190 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Australia in the 2024 ranking

• Japan — 13th of 190: 41.96
• Venezuela, RB — 14th of 190: 40.59
• Saudi Arabia — 15th of 190: 36.58
• Algeria — 17th of 190: 30.75
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 18th of 190: 28.99
• Indonesia — 19th of 190: 27.97

What this measures

A measure of annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from fugitive emissions (subsector of the energy sector) including IPCC 2006 codes 1.A.1.bc Petroleum Refining - Manufacture of Solid Fuels and Other Energy Industries, 1.B.1 Solid Fuels, 1.B.2 Oil and Natural Gas, 5.B. The measure is standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) factors of IPCC's 5th Assessment Report (AR5).

Limitations: Global GHG emissions are currently not directly measurable, but approaches for their estimation exist, and numerous sources exist to supply data for this indicator. Reputable scientific organizations produce these data for use for research, policy analysis, climate negotiations, and broader public communications. The estimated accuracy from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes are quite high, as quantities of fossil fuels and other emissive materials (such as cement and steel) produced are well known. For these sectors, emissions estimates are roughly accurate to within 10% when aggregated to the global level and between 4% and 35% at the country level (Crippa et al., 2023).

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 55 values

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 3.15 (2024)
• Cambodia — 0 (2024)
• China — 821.58 (2024)
• Fiji — 0 (2024)
• French Polynesia — 0 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 0.44 (2024)
• Indonesia — 27.97 (2024)
• Japan — 41.96 (2024)
• Kiribati

More environment data for Australia

• Population in largest city — 5.39 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 22.26% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 16.77 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 60.73% (2025)
• Rural population — 3.39 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 12.28% (2025)
• Urban population — 24.22 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 87.72% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 117,540 (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Australia's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e)?

34.1 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 206.98% from 11.11 in 1970 (2.1% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 38.07 in 2019 and the lowest 11.11 in 1970.

How does Australia rank?

16th highest of 190 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) unusual for Australia?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.GHG.CO2.FE.MT.CE.AR5, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission, uri: https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dataset_ghg2024, publisher: JRC European Commission, date published: 2024; International Energy Agency (IEA), uri: https://edgar.j… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.