Belgium: Carbon intensity of GDP (kg CO2e per constant 2021 US$ of GDP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Belgium's carbon intensity of GDP (kg CO2e per constant 2021 US$ of GDP) fell US$0.0000467 on 2023 (from US$0.16 to US$0.16).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −US$0.00735 and a typical year strayed about US$0.01 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 standard deviations above 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 US$0.03 in 1979 and the biggest yearly fall was US$0.09 in 1971. 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 downward, about US$0.00709 a year. A straight line explains 95% 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.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about US$0.15 for 2027. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2022 to 2024 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was US$0.02, against US$0.03 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2024, Belgium had the 143rd highest value of the 191 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 Belgium in the 2024 ranking

• Ethiopia — 140th of 191: US$0.17
• French Polynesia — 141st of 191: US$0.17
• Central African Republic — 142nd of 191: US$0.16
• Panama — 144th of 191: US$0.16
• Germany — 145th of 191: US$0.16
• Puerto Rico (US) — 146th of 191: US$0.16

What this measures

Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from the agriculture, energy, waste, and industrial sectors, excluding LULUCF divided by the GDP in constant 2021 US$.

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 weighted average using gdp as weights.

All 55 values

Carbon intensity of GDP (kg CO2e per constant 2021 US$ of GDP) in nearby economies

• Albania — US$0.27 (2024)
• Armenia — US$0.46 (2024)
• Austria — US$0.14 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — US$0.65 (2024)
• Belarus — US$0.87 (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — US$0.96 (2024)
• Bulgaria — US$0.52 (2024)
• Croatia — US$0.27 (2024)
• Cyprus — US$0.23 (2024)

More environment data for Belgium

• Population in largest city — 2.14 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 20.45% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 3.21 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 26.85% (2025)
• Rural population — 1.47 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 12.33% (2025)
• Urban population — 10.47 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 87.67% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 303 (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Belgium's carbon intensity of GDP (kg CO2e per constant 2021 US$ of GDP)?

US$0.16 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.GHG.CO2.RT.GDP.KD, 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.

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