Per capita CO₂ emissions in G20 countries 2022
Saudi Arabia is the largest per capita emitter of carbon dioxide (CO₂) among G20 countries. In 2022, emissions in the Middle Eastern country amounted to nearly 17 metric tons per person (tCO₂/cap). Meanwhile, India was the country with the lowest emissions per capita, at around 1.9 tCO₂/cap.
Population vs emissions
Despite being the most populated G20 country, India has the lowest per capita CO₂ emissions of them all. This is mainly due to India’s economy being largely agrarian. Additionally, per capita energy consumption in the South Asian country is relatively low compared to many developed nations. On the other hand, Canada, which has a small population size, had the second-largest emissions per capita in the G20. The North American country’s oil and gas industry is a key factor for this.
Emissions from oil and gas production
Other major oil and gas producers, such as Saudi Arabia, the U.S., and Russia, are also among the biggest per capita emitters globally. Russia alone accounts for nearly a quarter of global GHG emissions from oil and gas production, while the U.S. contributes almost 20 percent.