Morocco vs Peru

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Peru emits more CO₂ per capita than Morocco by about ~0.2 tCO₂e/person/year (about 13% higher). Globally, Morocco ranks around #50 and Peru around #49 by CO₂ per capita. Both can be compared to the global median of ~4.7 tCO₂e per person.

CO₂ per capita

Lower is better
Winner: Morocco. Morocco ~1.8 tCO₂e/yearPeru ~2.1 tCO₂e/yearMorocco leads by 0.2 t (13%)
Morocco
~1.8 tCO₂e/year
Peru
~2.1 tCO₂e/year

World median: ~~4.7 tCO₂e/year

Consumption-based CO₂ per capita

Lower is better
Winner: Morocco. Morocco ~1.9 tCO₂e/yearPeru ~2.3 tCO₂e/yearMorocco leads by 0.5 t (26%)
Morocco
~1.9 tCO₂e/year
Peru
~2.3 tCO₂e/year

World median: ~~6.5 tCO₂e/year

Electricity carbon intensity

Lower is better
Morocco ~577 gCO₂/kWhWinner: Peru. Peru ~263 gCO₂/kWhPeru leads by 313 g (119%)
Morocco
~577 gCO₂/kWh
Peru
~263 gCO₂/kWh

World median: ~~345 gCO₂/kWh

Renewable electricity share

Higher is better
Morocco ~27%Winner: Peru. Peru ~59%Peru leads by 33 pp
Morocco
~27%
Peru
~59%

World median: ~~34%

Key takeaways

Morocco has much lower renewable share and much lower consumption-based emissions while Peru has a much higher renewable share and much higher consumption-based emissions.

Quick comparison

Peru has higher per-capita emissions (~2.1 tCO₂e/person/year) than Morocco (~1.8 tCO₂e/person/year). The difference is about ~-0.2 tCO₂e/person/year, or about 12% lower.

In the global ranking by CO₂ per capita, Morocco stands around #50 and Peru around #49.

Morocco is below the global median (~4.7 tCO₂e/person), about 62% below.

Peru is below the global median (~4.7 tCO₂e/person), about 57% below.

Within Africa, Morocco sits close to the regional median (~1.8 tCO₂e/person).

Within South America, Peru sits below 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:

  • Avoiding high-emission development pathways
  • Supporting policies that phase out fossil fuels
  • Ensuring new infrastructure is low-carbon from the start
  • Expanding clean energy access without locking in fossil dependency
  • Building resilience while keeping emissions low

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

CO₂ per capita rankings · All countries

Frequently asked questions

Which country has higher CO2 per capita: Morocco or Peru?

Peru has higher per-capita emissions (~2.1 tCO₂e/person/year) than Morocco (~1.8 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 Morocco compare to the global median?

About 62% below the global median of ~4.7 tCO₂e per person.

How does Peru compare to the global median?

About 57% 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.