Canada vs Mexico
Canada emits more CO₂ per capita than Mexico by about ~9.9 tCO₂e/person/year (about 281% higher). Globally, Canada ranks around #5 and Mexico around #43 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
North America median: ~~13.4 tCO₂e/year
Consumption-based CO₂ per capita
Lower is betterWorld median: ~~6.5 tCO₂e/year
North America median: ~~13.2 tCO₂e/year
Electricity carbon intensity
Lower is betterWorld median: ~~345 gCO₂/kWh
North America median: ~~384 gCO₂/kWh
Key takeaways
Canada has much higher per-capita emissions and much higher consumption-based emissions while Mexico has much lower per-capita emissions and much lower consumption-based emissions.
Quick comparison
Canada has higher per-capita emissions (~13.4 tCO₂e/person/year) than Mexico (~3.5 tCO₂e/person/year). The difference is about ~9.9 tCO₂e/person/year, or about 281% higher.
In the global ranking by CO₂ per capita, Canada stands around #5 and Mexico around #43.
Canada is above the global median (~4.7 tCO₂e/person), about 183% above.
Mexico is below the global median (~4.7 tCO₂e/person), about 26% below.
Within North America, Canada sits close to the regional median (~13.4 tCO₂e/person).
Within North America, Mexico sits below the regional median (~13.4 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:
- Increasing renewable share in electricity generation
- Improving building insulation and energy efficiency
- Expanding public transit and active mobility
- Cutting down on air travel and long-haul freight
- Retrofitting older buildings with heat pumps
- Phasing out coal and fossil gas in power generation
- Shifting diets toward less carbon-intensive foods
- Electrifying industrial heating and process heat
- Reducing food waste along the supply chain
- Switching to renewable electricity and heat pumps for heating
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: Canada or Mexico?
Canada has higher per-capita emissions (~13.4 tCO₂e/person/year) than Mexico (~3.5 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 Canada compare to the global median?
About 183% above the global median of ~4.7 tCO₂e per person.
How does Mexico compare to the global median?
About 26% 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.