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Countries with the Highest Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Name the countries that account for the highest % of the world's CO2 emissions.
For the year 2022. Source.
Growth = % growth since 1990
Quiz by Maibaum
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Last updated: December 7, 2023
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First submittedMarch 5, 2014
Times taken87,870
Average score86.4%
Rating4.97
3:00
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 / 22 guessed
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% of Total
Country
Growth
29.2%
China
285%
11.2%
United States
-2%
7.33%
India
175%
4.80%
Russia
-16%
2.44%
Brazil
88%
2.31%
Indonesia
190%
2.20%
Japan
-11%
1.77%
Iran
186%
1.52%
Mexico
76%
1.51%
Saudi Arabia
240%
1.46%
Germany
-37%
% of Total
Country
Growth
1.41%
Canada
30%
1.35%
South Korea
120%
1.28%
Turkey
201%
1.06%
Australia
25%
1.02%
Pakistan
154%
0.99%
South Africa
30%
0.91%
Vietnam
337%
0.86%
Thailand
109%
0.80%
France
-20%
0.79%
United Kingdom
-46%
0.76%
Nigeria
42%
+37
Level ∞
Oct 14, 2020
It's likely that global emissions in 2020 will be lower than 2019. We may (fingers crossed) have peaked.

That said, we need to do more than just reduce emissions. We need to actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Edit 2023: We didn't peak. 2022 emissions were about 2% higher than in 2019.

+5
Level 83
Mar 17, 2014
Dang you Indonesia! You're the only one I missed!
+1
Level 66
Jan 5, 2019
same here
+4
Level 24
Jan 30, 2022
you missed Indonesia? I just missed United States. bruh
+4
Level 58
Jan 31, 2022
100% accuracy rate. Yeah that's tough
+3
Level 47
Apr 22, 2014
I don't mean to be rude, but isn't it CO2
+1
Level 27
Apr 22, 2014
I think you're right, the index should be at the bottom
+1
Level ∞
Apr 22, 2014
Fixed
+19
Level 86
Apr 22, 2014
China and the USA really have to calm down...
+21
Level 86
Apr 22, 2014
Try saying that when your country has about 300 million more people.
+12
Level 45
Apr 22, 2014
Yeah, somebody should do a quiz that looks at per capita emissions instead. As it is this is mostly just a list of large countries.
+7
Level 82
Apr 24, 2014
Here you go.

CO2 per capita

easy to make. A little more difficult to take. So I added 30 seconds.

+7
Level 61
Jun 3, 2019
US is still pretty high per capita.
+1
Level 78
Jan 17, 2022
Yes. Gotta look at countries which feature in both lists viz. this one and the per capita one. That's where the corrective action needs to begin.
+10
Level 77
Jan 19, 2022
I don't care how big my or your country is. China and the USA are the ones that are responsible for almost half of all greenhouse gas emission. Kuwait can cut its emissions all it wants, but the world is going to suffer if China doesn't improve its environmental impact.
+3
Level 18
Jan 4, 2015
China has 1.3 BILLION people over 1/7 of the world's population, climbing toward 3/14! The highly-industrialized countries!
+2
Level 62
Sep 5, 2019
Definitely the European and North American countries who look worst here. And Brazil and Australia.
+5
Level 67
Jan 21, 2022
The US has 10x the carbon emissions of Brazil, so I don't think that Brazil belongs here lol.
+23
Level 38
Jun 25, 2016
Funny you should say that; whilst leading the world in Carbon dioxide emissions, China also tops the table for sustainable and renewable energies. Along the line they realised coal wasn't gonna cut it for their population size and began the switch to solar power on a massive scale. So at least they're trying, which is more than one can say for the US, or the worst of the lot for its population, Australia.

We've barely got 25 million people here yet our emissions are up with those of countries with hundreds of millions/billions of people. On top of that, we're yet to have a federal government to acknowledge global warming, let alone honouring the kyoto reform. What small carbon tax we had got voted down and overturned by the oligarchy (who, to be fair, just do what the mining industry tell them to). But we are, without a doubt, one of the worst in the world in Australia.

+11
Level 75
Dec 28, 2018
China is still by far the biggest user of coal in the world, producing over 40% and importing the greatest amount from others. The US and India, the next largest producers, produce less than 10% each. The US has regulations which makes coal cleaner burning than in China. I know, because I pay for it on my electric bill. After our electric cooperative spent millions to make cleaner-burning coal, then the government came in and said we couldn't burn it anyway and they weren't going to give our co-op time to transition to other alternatives which meant our electric bills would triple from having to purchase energy from other sources. But at the same time they had no problem with allowing coal exports to China where they don't require it to be scrubbed. Things have eased up some for now, but we'll see what happens. I'm all for ending global warming but I think sometimes we strain at a gnat and swallow a camel instead of using common sense to develop real answers to the problem.
+5
Level 79
Mar 12, 2020
China yes, but USA? Its population has increased 30% from 1990, but total CO2 emission has only increased by 1%. Pretty calm to me.
+5
Level 75
Jan 15, 2022
After all, it makes up over one quarter the world's manufacturing output and nearly one fifth the world's population. With increasing demands (and population, in the US's case) in the West, it's honestly not that surprising.

Also keep in mind that pollution is more than just carbon dioxide emissions. The US produces over 30% of the world's waste. None of those countries here are exactly calm.

+2
Level 75
Jan 15, 2022
Oh and of course, a lot of wealthy countries with small population pollute a lot per capita. Although, yes, they do have way less people as well as total emission. But, say that these countries spent a good portion of the money they own to reduce pollution rather than wasting it all on empty luxurious buildings nobody lives in (like in Dubai) or other useless luxurious products, it would probably cut down on the pollution significantly.
+1
Level 14
Apr 22, 2014
100% WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!
+2
Level 47
Apr 27, 2014
First try got all 20 with 1 second remaining. Ha!
+2
Level 19
Dec 29, 2018
No one asked
+14
Level 66
Jan 5, 2019
Noone asked if anyone asked...
+1
Level 25
Apr 28, 2014
add England as a correct answer for United Kingdom
+28
Level 83
Dec 12, 2015
But that would mean that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland produced zero emissions.
+5
Level 77
Nov 2, 2018
UK is so much easier to type.
+10
Level 80
Dec 29, 2018
Why? England is not the same as the UK!
+1
Level 28
Apr 29, 2014
Ukraine? That's a surprise.
+1
Level 76
Jun 24, 2016
Got Poland in the last second
+1
Level 50
Jul 24, 2016
Did u add CO2 emission by humans? 😜 That'll put India before Usa.
+11
Level 70
Mar 5, 2017
I am ashamed for Canada. the 35 million people produce more pollution than Brazil which had 200 million people
+5
Level 44
Dec 28, 2018
Yeah, I agree. We produce a shocking amount of Carbon Dioxide, considering our small population. And all the while we pride ourselves on being one of the world's most environmentally friendly countries. Not sure if our visions stack up with reality.
+1
Level 66
Jan 17, 2022
Oh, Canada!
+1
Level 47
Jul 24, 2017
I only missed canada because i expected it to be cleaner!
+1
Level 39
Oct 6, 2018
I forgot canada and mexico!!!
+1
Level 88
Nov 13, 2018
With 19/20 I only beat 51.5% of you bugger's, you're good.
+2
Level 66
Jan 5, 2019
19/20 beats 75.2% now. That changed fast.
+6
Level 79
Mar 12, 2020
Only beat and equalled. Don't forget equalled.
+1
Level 27
Dec 28, 2018
Got 100% with 1 second left!!
+1
Level 63
Feb 22, 2019
For those who were wondering.

Included: Fossil fuel use and industrial processes (cement production, carbonate use of limestone and dolomite, non-energy use of fuels and other combustion, chemical and metal processes, solvents, agricultural liming and urea, waste and fossil fuel fires).

Excluded: Short-cycle biomass burning (such as agricultural waste burning), large-scale biomass burning (such as forest fires) and carbon emissions/removals of land-use, land-use change and forestry.

+2
Level 65
Nov 1, 2019
co2 is plant food. If you truly care about the climate and the environment beyond the politics of carbon taxing, look at methane, fluorocarbons, nuclear waste, deforestation, damning of river flows, ocean pollution, and deprivation of oxygenation to our waters. If CO2 scares you, respirate slower. BTW, how did Turkey make the list?
+31
Level 46
Jan 27, 2021
Please go to school.
+1
Level 63
Jan 27, 2022
Damn those rivers!
+1
Level 75
Aug 23, 2020
Wow, this was surprisingly easy. Usually I make a lot of wrong guesses on these, but I got the first 19 on my first 19 guesses...Took me another minute to get #20 though.
+1
Level 46
Jan 27, 2021
Europe is on a good path atleast :)
+1
Level 57
Apr 13, 2021
wow australia is the only one i didnt get. would have never thought that!
+2
Level 20
Apr 23, 2021
How did i forgot australia that's the only one i need

SAD :(

+2
Level 25
Jan 31, 2022
Australia Is My Country
+9
Level 80
Jan 14, 2022
I missed only Vietnam. What the hell is going on there?
+8
Level 67
Jan 15, 2022
Many factories are moved from China to Vietnam because of lower cost and Trump's trade war.
+2
Level 52
Feb 1, 2022
100 million people with an HDI comparable to South Africa or Egypt.
+9
Level 66
Jan 17, 2022
Be careful, these stats do not show the imported CO2 emissions of the richer countries.

US and Europe make Asia and other countries produce what they consume.

If we want to reduce the emissions globally, we need to produce locally ;)

+3
Level 74
Jan 18, 2022
Wow. You go, Vietnam!
+8
Level 71
Jan 30, 2022
Umm, you probably don't want to cheer that
+2
Level 72
Jan 20, 2022
Sigh, spell Saudi wrong and then spend the last minute guessing random countries trying to work out who it could possibly be.
+3
Level 63
Jan 27, 2022
Damn whats goin on in Vietnam
+1
Level 72
Feb 1, 2022
Manufacturing of your clothes
+2
Level 68
Jan 30, 2022
Interesting that France doesn't make the list. I guess that's because of nuclear power?
+2
Level 37
Jan 30, 2022
Yeah, probably
+1
Level 64
Dec 7, 2022
Yes, mostly. Combined with EU legislation that limits what French industries can emit into the atmosphere. But compared to Poland, which is also subject to those same regulations and has a somewhat similar population, but burns mostly coal for its electricity generation, it's clear that nuclear power does a tremendous job at keeping France off this list.
+1
Level 83
Dec 8, 2023
They're here now and higher than the UK somehow, so how they produce their power can't be the only factor going into this
+1
Level 25
Jan 31, 2022
I WAS SO CLOSE TO GETTING ALL COUNTRIES THAT HAS Carbon Dioxide AND I MISSED SOUTH AFRICA AND SAUDI ARABIA good quiz btw
+1
Level 63
Nov 21, 2022
Missed Poland.
+2
Level 63
Jan 17, 2023
I was like "Great, some countries are cutting down by 30%, something's happening." Then BAM! Vietnam has entered the chat!
+2
Level 68
Feb 16, 2023
WTF is going on in Vietnam?!?
+1
Level ∞
Dec 7, 2023
Transition from extreme poverty to a middle income country.
+1
Level 84
Dec 7, 2023
From 67 million people to 97 million people, combined with increased living standards.
+2
Level 90
Dec 7, 2023
Good to see all these 'developing countries' are taking their responsibilities seriously.
+1
Level 75
Dec 8, 2023
That is because they are producing what you consume, don't be stupid now with that comment

You'll see drastically different results if you add in indirect emissions

+1
Level 66
Dec 8, 2023
BS, the west is actively doing something while there rest is doing nothing. Even with the indirect emissions.
+2
Level 75
Dec 8, 2023
USA: 15 tons per year per capita

China: 7.5 tons per year per capita

Nigeria: 0.44 tons per year per capita

Maybe don't start lecturing the developing countries just yet...

https://www.worldometers.info/co2-emissions/co2-emissions-per-capita/

+1
Level 79
Dec 18, 2023
By 'actively doing something' do you mean something other than continuing to dump obscene amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere?
+1
Level 61
Dec 25, 2023
and loving it.
+1
Level 79
Dec 8, 2023
Earth will be a flaming meatball in space before we take any meaningful action to address human-caused threats to the climate.
+1
Level 68
Dec 22, 2023
Canada and Australia really didn't get the memo...
+6
Level 37
Dec 22, 2023
People blaming China for their high CO2 emissions need to get a reality check. First you outsource all your manufacturing to them & then you blame them for high emissions. Try bringing all that manufacturing back to your home & then see how clean your air & water is.

Americans especially need to be aware of this as they are the worst offenders being China's biggest export market & still having the 2nd highest emissions.

+1
Level 61
Dec 25, 2023
yawn