Average carbon footprint in Switzerland
~3.6 tCO2e / person / year
Switzerland's per-person footprint is about ~3.6 tCO2e/year (latest available). This is national emissions divided by population and helps compare countries on a per-person basis. Check yours to see how you compare.
See also: Europe overview
Compare Switzerland with Austria
Emissions overview
Switzerland emits around 3.6 tonnes of CO₂ per person per year (latest available data).
Switzerland is about 32% below the median CO₂ per person across Europe.
Consumption-based emissions are higher than domestic emissions, indicating imported carbon footprint.
Electricity in Switzerland is relatively low-carbon compared to fossil-heavy systems.
A large share of electricity comes from renewables.
Switzerland emits about ~3.6 tCO2e / person / year per person per year, based on the latest available territorial emissions data. This is about 24% below the global median of ~4.7 tCO2e per person. Globally, Switzerland ranks around #41 on a per-capita basis.
Snapshot
Switzerland emits about 3.6 tCO2e per person per year (territorial emissions). That places it around #41 globally, which is considered typical on a per-person basis.
This is about 24% below the global median of ~4.7 tCO2e per person. Within Europe, Switzerland ranks around #22 and sits about 32% below the regional median of ~5.3.
Population is roughly 9.0 million (2024).
GDP per capita is approximately $103,998 (2024).
Urban population is around 85% (2024).
Electricity renewables share is roughly ~67% of electricity.
Grid carbon intensity is roughly ~33 gCO2/kWh.
How to interpret this number
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.
Globally, the main sectors driving emissions are electricity and heat, transport, industry, buildings, and food. The mix varies by country: colder climates often use more heating; car-dependent societies have higher transport emissions; industrial economies tend to show more industry-related CO₂.
For Switzerland, with typical per-capita emissions, there is room to improve. Many countries at similar levels have cut emissions while maintaining or growing their economies through electrification, renewables, and efficiency gains.
What usually drives emissions here
With GDP per capita around $103,998 (2024), Switzerland is a high-income economy. Higher incomes often correlate with greater energy use, car ownership, and consumption-based emissions. Policy, energy mix, and urban planning can significantly change that relationship.
Around 85% of the population lives in urban areas (2024). Urbanization can affect transport patterns, building density, and heating and cooling demand. Denser cities often support public transit and district heating; sprawl tends to increase car dependency and per-capita emissions.
The electricity grid is relatively low-carbon. Electrifying transport and heating can reduce emissions effectively, especially as renewable share grows.
Territorial emissions count CO₂ produced within national borders. Consumption-based emissions attribute CO₂ to where goods are consumed. Both perspectives matter for understanding the full carbon footprint.
Territorial vs consumption-based emissions
Territorial emissions count CO₂ produced within a country's borders. Consumption-based emissions attribute CO₂ to the country where goods and services are consumed, including imports. Switzerland's per-capita figure above is territorial (~3.6 tCO2e/person/year). Consumption-based data for Switzerland is around ~13.3 tCO2e/person/year, indicating imported carbon footprint. Both perspectives matter for understanding the full impact.
What could reduce per-capita emissions
Targeted actions depend on the country's starting point. For Switzerland, with typical per-capita emissions, potential levers include:
- Switching to renewable electricity and heat pumps for heating
- Reducing car use and choosing electric vehicles
- Cutting down on air travel and long-haul freight
- Improving building insulation and energy efficiency
- Retrofitting older buildings with heat pumps
- Improving industrial process efficiency
- Shifting diets toward less carbon-intensive foods
- Reducing food waste along the supply chain
- Increasing renewable share in electricity generation
Data sources
- World Bank: SP.POP.TOTL (2024)
- World Bank: NY.GDP.PCAP.CD (2024)
- World Bank: SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS (2024)
- CO₂ per capita, emissions: OWID (2025)
- Electricity intensity & renewables: OWID (2025)
Compare with your result
Latest data
- CO₂ per capita
- ~3.6 tCO2e / person / year (2025)
- Consumption-based CO₂ per capita
- ~13.3 tCO2e/person/yr (2025)
- Electricity CO₂e intensity
- ~33 gCO2/kWh (2025)
- Renewables share in electricity
- ~67% of electricity (2025)
Note: electricity intensity is shown in CO₂e per kWh; per-capita figures above are CO₂ only.
Values are taken from publicly available datasets; coverage and latest year vary by metric.
Electricity & carbon profile
This shows how clean the country's electricity mix is. A higher renewable share usually means lower grid carbon intensity.
Renewables• Largest share
67%
Low carbon electricity mix
What drives it
- •Electricity & heating — Homes, offices, and industry. Energy mix (coal, gas, renewables) matters.
- •Transport — Cars, buses, trains, flights. Car ownership and public transport use vary by country.
- •Food — Diet, agriculture, and food waste. Meat and dairy have higher emissions than plant-based options.
Related countries
Closest countries by CO2 per capita and regional context.
- Slightly higher (0%)
- Slightly higher (+2%)
- Same region peer (0%)
- Slightly lower (-2%)
Sources
- Our World in Data – CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Our World in Data – Carbon intensity of electricity
- Our World in Data – Share of electricity from renewables
Last updated: 2026-02-23
Region median computed from available OWID country data shown on this site.
FAQ
- Is Switzerland above the global median CO2 per capita?
- No. Switzerland is about 24% below the global median of ~4.7 tCO2e per person.
- Does CO2 per capita include imported goods?
- The main figure on this page is territorial (production-based): it counts CO₂ emitted within the country's borders. It does not include emissions embedded in imported goods. Consumption-based metrics do include those; we show consumption-based data when available.
- Why can small countries rank very high?
- Per-capita emissions divide total national emissions by population. Small countries with high energy use—often due to industry, refining, or data centers—can rank very high even if their absolute emissions are modest. Luxembourg and Qatar are examples.
- How often is this data updated?
- Data comes from Our World in Data, World Bank, and Ember. Coverage and latest year vary by metric. The main emissions figure typically reflects the most recent year in the source dataset.
- What is the average carbon footprint in Switzerland?
- About 3.6 tCO2e per person per year (territorial emissions).
- How does Switzerland compare to the Europe median?
- About 32% below the Europe median.