Ethiopia vs Nigeria
Per-capita emissions are higher in Nigeria than in Ethiopia: roughly ~0.4 tCO₂e/person/year more, or about 333% higher. Globally, Ethiopia ranks around #57 and Nigeria around #55 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
Africa median: ~~1.8 tCO₂e/year
Consumption-based CO₂ per capita
Lower is betterWorld median: ~~6.5 tCO₂e/year
Africa median: ~~1.2 tCO₂e/year
Electricity carbon intensity
Lower is betterWorld median: ~~345 gCO₂/kWh
Africa median: ~~575 gCO₂/kWh
Key takeaways
Ethiopia has much lower per-capita emissions and much lower consumption-based emissions while Nigeria has much higher per-capita emissions and much higher consumption-based emissions.
Quick comparison
Nigeria has higher per-capita emissions (~0.6 tCO₂e/person/year) than Ethiopia (~0.1 tCO₂e/person/year). The difference is about ~-0.4 tCO₂e/person/year, or about 77% lower.
In the global ranking by CO₂ per capita, Ethiopia stands around #57 and Nigeria around #55.
Ethiopia is below the global median (~4.7 tCO₂e/person), about 97% below.
Nigeria is below the global median (~4.7 tCO₂e/person), about 88% below.
Within Africa, Ethiopia sits below the regional median (~1.8 tCO₂e/person).
Within Africa, Nigeria sits below the regional median (~1.8 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:
- Cutting down on air travel and long-haul freight
- Increasing renewable share in electricity generation
- Improving industrial process efficiency
- Shifting diets toward less carbon-intensive foods
- Phasing out coal and fossil gas in power generation
- Electrifying industrial heating and process heat
- Improving building insulation and energy efficiency
- Reducing food waste along the supply chain
- Switching to renewable electricity and heat pumps for heating
- Retrofitting older buildings with heat pumps
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: Ethiopia or Nigeria?
Nigeria has higher per-capita emissions (~0.6 tCO₂e/person/year) than Ethiopia (~0.1 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 Ethiopia compare to the global median?
About 97% below the global median of ~4.7 tCO₂e per person.
How does Nigeria compare to the global median?
About 88% 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.