Argentina vs Brazil
The gap between Argentina and Brazil is about ~1.5 tCO₂e/person/year per person per year (about 64% higher). Globally, Argentina ranks around #37 and Brazil around #46 by CO₂ per capita. Both can be compared to the global median of ~4.7 tCO₂e per person.
CO₂ per capita
Lower is betterWorld median: ~~4.7 tCO₂e/year
South America median: ~~2.3 tCO₂e/year
Consumption-based CO₂ per capita
Lower is betterWorld median: ~~6.5 tCO₂e/year
South America median: ~~2.3 tCO₂e/year
Electricity carbon intensity
Lower is betterWorld median: ~~345 gCO₂/kWh
South America median: ~~265 gCO₂/kWh
Key takeaways
Argentina has much higher consumption-based emissions and much higher per-capita emissions while Brazil has much lower consumption-based emissions and much lower per-capita emissions.
Quick comparison
Argentina has higher per-capita emissions (~3.7 tCO₂e/person/year) than Brazil (~2.3 tCO₂e/person/year). The difference is about ~1.5 tCO₂e/person/year, or about 64% higher.
In the global ranking by CO₂ per capita, Argentina stands around #37 and Brazil around #46.
Argentina is below the global median (~4.7 tCO₂e/person), about 21% below.
Brazil is below the global median (~4.7 tCO₂e/person), about 52% below.
Within South America, Argentina sits above the regional median (~2.3 tCO₂e/person).
Within South America, Brazil sits close to the regional median (~2.3 tCO₂e/person).
Why the numbers can differ
GDP per capita often correlates with energy use: higher incomes tend to mean more transport, heating, and consumption. The relationship is not fixed—policy, energy mix, and urban design can decouple emissions from economic activity.
Urbanization affects transport patterns and building energy use. Denser cities can support public transit and district heating; sprawl tends to increase car dependency and per-capita emissions.
Electricity carbon intensity and the share of renewables in the power mix influence how much emissions drop when transport and heating electrify. Cleaner grids amplify the benefit of electric vehicles and heat pumps.
How to interpret per-capita vs total
Per-capita emissions divide a country's total CO₂ output by its population. That lets us compare nations fairly regardless of size. A large country with high total emissions can still have low per-person emissions if its population is very large. Total emissions matter for the global climate, but per-capita figures help us understand lifestyle and policy differences between countries.
What would move the gap
Targeted actions depend on each country's starting point. Levers that can narrow or reverse the gap include:
- Building resilience while keeping emissions low
- Ensuring new infrastructure is low-carbon from the start
- Expanding clean energy access without locking in fossil dependency
- Supporting policies that phase out fossil fuels
- Avoiding high-emission development pathways
Data sources
- CO₂ per capita, territorial emissions: OWID (2024, 2024)
- Electricity carbon intensity: OWID / Ember (latest available)
- Renewables share of electricity: OWID / Ember (latest available)
- Ember: electricity mix, carbon intensity
Related comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which country has higher CO2 per capita: Argentina or Brazil?
Argentina has higher per-capita emissions (~3.7 tCO₂e/person/year) than Brazil (~2.3 tCO₂e/person/year).
How do per-capita emissions differ from total emissions?
Per-capita emissions divide total national emissions by population, allowing fair comparison across countries of different sizes. Total emissions matter for global impact; per-capita figures help compare lifestyle and policy.
How does Argentina compare to the global median?
About 21% below the global median of ~4.7 tCO₂e per person.
How does Brazil compare to the global median?
About 52% below the global median of ~4.7 tCO₂e per person.
Does this include consumption-based emissions?
The main figure is territorial (production-based). We also show consumption-based CO₂ per capita when available, which counts emissions embedded in imported goods.
How often is this data updated?
Data comes from Our World in Data, World Bank, and Ember. Coverage and latest year vary by metric.