List of countries by ecological footprint

Last updated

Countries by raw ecological footprint per capita (2018) Ecological footprint 2018.png
Countries by raw ecological footprint per capita (2018)
National ecological surplus or deficit, measured as a country's biocapacity per person (in global hectares) minus its ecological footprint per person (also in global hectares). Data from 2013.
.mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}
x <= -9
-9 < x <= -8
-8 < x <= -7
-7 < x <= -6
-6 < x <= -5
-5 < x <= -4
-4 < x <= -3
-3 < x <= -2
-2 < x <= -1
-1 < x < 0
0 <= x < 2
2 <= x < 4
4 <= x < 6
6 <= x < 8
8 <= x
Data unavailable World map of countries by ecological deficit (2013).svg
National ecological surplus or deficit, measured as a country's biocapacity per person (in global hectares) minus its ecological footprint per person (also in global hectares). Data from 2013.
  x ≤ −9
  −9 < x ≤ −8
  −8 < x ≤ −7
  −7 < x ≤ −6
  −6 < x ≤ −5
  −5 < x ≤ −4
  −4 < x ≤ −3
  −3 < x ≤ −2
  −2 < x ≤ −1
  −1 < x < 0
  0 ≤ x < 2
  2 ≤ x < 4
  4 ≤ x < 6
  6 ≤ x < 8
  8 ≤ x
  Data unavailable

This is a list of countries by ecological footprint. The table is based on data spanning from 1961 to 2013 from the Global Footprint Network's National Footprint Accounts published in 2016. Numbers are given in global hectares per capita. The world-average ecological footprint in 2016 was 2.75 global hectares per person (22.6 billion in total). With a world-average biocapacity of 1.63 global hectares (gha) per person (12.2 billion in total), this leads to a global ecological deficit of 1.1 global hectares per person (10.4 billion in total). [1]

Contents

For humanity, having a footprint smaller than the planet's biocapacity is a necessary condition for sustainability. After all, ecological overuse is only possible temporarily. A country that consumes more than 1.73 gha per person has a resource demand that is not sustainable world-wide if every country were to exceed that consumption level simultaneously. Countries with a footprint below 1.73 gha per person might not be sustainable: the quality of the footprint may still lead to net long-term ecological destruction. If a country does not have enough ecological resources within its own territory to cover its population's footprint, then it runs an ecological deficit and the country is termed an ecological debtor. Otherwise, it has an ecological reserve and it is called a creditor. [1] To a significant degree, biocapacity correlates with access to water resources.

Countries and regions

This table below is based on 2012 results (National Footprint Accounts edition 2016). The latest edition (2021), produced by York University, [2] Footprint Data Foundation, [3] and Global Footprint Network, is available on Global Footprint Network's website at http://data.footprintnetwork.org. Note that this list contains only 188 countries, covering most of the countries with more than one million inhabitants.

RankCountry/regionEcological
footprint
BiocapacityBiocapacity
deficit or
reserve
Population
(millions)
Total biocapacity deficit or reserve (gMha)Population (millions) for biocapacity to equal ecological footprint*
(gha/person)
World2.751.63-1.127753-104002500
1Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg 15.821.68−14.140.63−7.350.055221
2Flag of Aruba.svg Aruba 11.880.57−11.310.17−1.130.004798
3Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar 10.81.24−9.562.05−19.600.235373343
4Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia 9.3116.577.2623.05167.3441.02454
5Flag of the United States.svg United States 8.43.76−4.64329.5−1416.05145.2311
6Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada 8.1716.017.8338272.8068.27275
7Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait 8.130.55−7.583.25−24.640.219865
8Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore 7.970.05−7.925.3−41.980.03325
9Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 7.930.56−7.3765.648−483.834.635924
10Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago 7.921.56−6.361.34−8.520.263939
11Flag of Montserrat.svg Montserrat 7.781.36−6.420.005−0.030.000874
12Flag of Oman.svg Oman 7.521.92−5.63.31−18.540.845106
13Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain 7.490.58−6.911.32−9.120.102216
14Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium 7.441.19−6.2511.6−69.131.769005
15Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden 7.2510.623.389.5132.1413.93051
16Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 6.8610.533.671.294.731.980131
17Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas 6.849.552.710.371.000.516594
18Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia 6.299.553.262.066.723.127663
19Flag of Israel.svg Israel 6.220.35−5.879.1−44.850.429904
20Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia 6.0815.669.582.826.827.211842
21Flag of Austria.svg Austria 6.063.07−38.46−25.384.285842
22Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan 5.931.0−4.1323.61.003.979764
22Flag of Finland.svg Finland 5.8713.447.575.4140.9512.38678
23Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania 5.835.67−0.173.03−0.522.946844
24Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia 5.812.35−3.472.07−7.180.837263
25Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 5.791.3−4.488−35.841.7962
26Flag of Bermuda.svg Bermuda 5.770.13−5.640.06−0.340.001352
27Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea 5.690.68−5.0149−245.495.855888
28Flag of Russia.svg Russia 5.696.791.1143.17157.49170.8479
29Flag of the Cayman Islands.svg Cayman Islands 5.650.32−5.330.06−0.320.003398
30Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia 5.610.5−5.1228.29−144.842.52139
31Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 5.610.144.544.4620.258.075786
32Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland 5.573.73−1.834.58−8.383.067038
33Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan 5.553.41−2.1416.27−34.829.996523
34Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark 5.514.78−0.735.6−4.094.858076
35Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan 5.472.79−2.685.17−13.862.636984
36Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda 5.380.94−4.440.09−0.400.015725
37Flag of Germany.svg Germany 5.32.27−3.0282.8−250.0635.4634
38Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 5.281.17−4.1116.71−68.683.702784
39Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic 5.192.46−2.7310.66−29.105.052717
40Flag of France.svg France 5.143.11−2.0463.98−130.5238.71163
41Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus 5.093.64−1.459.4−13.636.7222
42Flag of Japan.svg Japan 5.020.72−4.3127.25−547.1818.251
43Flag of Norway.svg Norway 4.988.183.194.9915.928.196426
44Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts and Nevis 4.940.62−4.310.05−0.220.006275
45Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates 4.941.32−3.626.30−22.821.683401
46Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan 4.845.270.430.740.320.805744
47Flag of French Polynesia.svg French Polynesia 4.731.37−3.360.27−0.910.078203
48Flag of Italy.svg Italy 4.611.08−3.5360.92−215.0514.27193
49Flag of Barbados.svg Barbados 4.480.19−4.290.28−1.200.011875
50Flag of Poland.svg Poland 4.442.08−2.3638.21−90.1817.90018
51Flag of Greece.svg Greece 4.381.61−2.7711.12−30.804.087489
52Flag of Chile.svg Chile 4.363.63−0.7317.46−12.7514.53665
53Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname 4.2589.3385.080.5445.9411.35016
54Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus 4.210.34−3.871.13−4.370.091259
55Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay 4.1610.526.366.6942.5516.91798
56Flag of Brunei.svg Brunei 4.062.87−1.190.41−0.490.289828
57Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia 4.062.71−1.355.45−7.363.637808
58Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg Equatorial Guinea 3.974.40.440.740.330.820151
59Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia 3.922.8−1.124.31−4.833.078571
60Flag of Portugal (official).svg Portugal 3.881.51−2.3710.6−25.124.125258
61Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon 3.840.33−3.514.65−16.320.399609
62Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana 3.833.47−0.352−0.701.81201
63Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro 3.783.24−0.540.62−0.330.531429
64Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia 3.712.41−1.329.24−38.0118.99418
65Flag of Libya.svg Libya 3.690.7−36.16−18.481.168564
66Flag of Spain.svg Spain 3.671.25−2.4246.76−113.1615.92643
67Flag of France.svg Réunion 3.650.18−3.470.86−2.980.042411
68Flags of New Caledonia.svg New Caledonia 3.587.674.090.251.020.535615
69Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela 3.572.78−0.7929.96−23.6723.3302
70Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius 3.460.71−2.751.24−3.410.254451
71Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China 3.380.94−2.441402−3435.62391.5851
72Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey 3.331.52−1.8174−133.9433.77778
73Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria 3.322.86−0.467.28−3.356.271325
74Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 3.311.15−2.1652.39−113.1618.20196
75Flag of North Macedonia.svg North Macedonia 3.261.51−1.752.11−3.690.977331
76Flag of France.svg Guadeloupe 3.230.45−2.770.46−1.270.064087
77Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina 3.146.923.7841.09155.3290.55503
78Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.121.63−1.493.83−5.712.000929
79Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil 3.119.085.97198.661186.00580.0105
80Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3.111.26−1.850.11−0.200.044566
81Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana 3.0766.5863.510.850.8117.34984
82Flag of Grenada.svg Grenada 2.981.96−1.010.1−0.100.065772
83Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolivia 2.9616.7313.7710.5144.5959.34628
84Flag of Nauru.svg Nauru 2.940.19−2.760.01−0.030.000646
85Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary 2.922.17−0.759.98−7.497.416644
86Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay 2.9110.327.413.425.1912.05773
87Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji 2.92.37−0.520.88−0.460.719172
88Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 2.891.27−1.62120.85−195.7853.10709
89Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg British Virgin Islands 2.862.05−0.810.03−0.020.021503
90Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica 2.841.53−1.314.8−6.292.585915
91Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine 2.842.27−0.5845.53−26.4136.39194
92Flag of Iran.svg Iran 2.790.9−1.8976.42−144.4324.65161
93Flag of Panama.svg Panama 2.792.940.153.80.574.004301
94Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa 2.771.93−0.850.19−0.160.132383
95Flag of Romania.svg Romania 2.712.32−0.3921.76−8.4918.62849
96Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia 2.71.25−1.449.55−13.754.421296
97Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga 2.71.48−1.220.1−0.120.054815
98Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand 2.661.24−1.4266.78−94.8331.13053
99Flag of Dominica.svg Dominica 2.571.03−1.540.07−0.110.028054
100Flag of Mauritania.svg Mauritania 2.544.481.933.87.336.702362
101Flag of Cape Verde.svg Cape Verde 2.520.62−1.90.49−0.930.120556
102Flag of Namibia.svg Namibia 2.486.884.42.269.946.269677
103Flag of Saint Lucia.svg Saint Lucia 2.450.34−2.10.18−0.380.02498
104Flag of France.svg French Guiana 2.34111.35109.010.2426.1611.42051
105Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia 2.340.93−1.410.88−15.234.324103
106Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan 2.320.92−1.428.54−39.9611.31759
107Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan 2.310.85−1.469.31−13.593.425758
108Flag of Peru.svg Peru 2.283.971.6929.9950.6852.21943
109Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia 2.230.89−1.352.97−4.011.185336
110Flag of Albania.svg Albania 2.211.18−1.033.16−3.251.68724
111Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti 2.190.77−1.420.86−1.220.302374
112Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador 2.172.20.0315.490.4615.70415
113Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt 2.150.56−1.5980.72−128.3421.02474
114Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria 2.120.59−1.5338.48−58.8710.70906
115Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan 2.10.21−1.897.01−13.250.701
116Flag-of-Martinique.svg Martinique 2.080.39−1.70.4−0.680.075
117Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador 2.070.61−1.466.3−9.201.856522
118Flag of France.svg Wallis and Futuna 2.071.51−0.560.01−0.010.007295
119Flag of Gabon.svg Gabon 2.0226.3124.291.6339.5921.23035
120Flag of Eswatini.svg Swaziland 2.010.88−1.141.23−1.400.538507
121Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana 1.971.35−0.6225.37−15.7317.38553
122Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba 1.950.76−1.1911.27−13.414.39241
123Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan 1.911.3−0.615.47−3.343.723037
124Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea 1.913.922.017.1714.4114.71539
125Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala 1.890.99−0.915.08−13.577.899048
126Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica 1.890.43−1.462.77−4.040.630212
127Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq 1.880.29−1.5932.78−52.125.056489
128Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia 1.873.61.7247.782.0491.82888
129Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova 1.780.8−0.983.51−3.441.577528
130Flag of Honduras (2022-).svg Honduras 1.681.770.097.940.718.365357
131Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco 1.680.71−0.9632.52−31.2213.74357
132Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho 1.660.78−0.872.05−1.780.963253
133Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam 1.651−0.6590.8−59.0255.0303
134Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia 1.581.17−0.414.36−1.793.228608
135Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia 1.581.26−0.32246.86−79.00196.863
136Flag of Niger.svg Niger 1.561.24−0.3217.16−5.4913.64
137Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic 1.530.56−0.9710.28−9.973.762614
138Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau 1.533.031.491.662.473.287451
139Flag of Mali.svg Mali 1.531.580.0514.850.7415.33529
140Flag of Syria (2025-).svg Syria 1.510.6−0.9121.89−19.928.698013
141Flag of Sao Tome and Principe.svg Sao Tome and Principe 1.490.87−0.610.19−0.120.11094
142Flag of Chad.svg Chad 1.462.030.5712.457.1017.31062
143Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar 1.431.840.4152.821.6567.93846
144Flag of Benin.svg Benin 1.410.88−0.5310.05−5.336.27234
145Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea 1.412.090.6811.457.7916.97199
146Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua 1.392.250.875.995.219.696043
147Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Zimbabwe 1.370.62−0.7513.72−10.296.209051
148Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka 1.320.44−0.8821.1−18.577.033333
149Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania 1.321.08−0.2447.78−11.4739.09273
150Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Congo 1.2910.919.634.3441.9736.70496
151Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands 1.294.363.080.551.691.858915
152Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Côte d'Ivoire 1.271.780.5119.8410.1227.80724
153Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Central African Republic 1.247.876.624.5329.9928.75089
154Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone 1.241.2405.980.005.98
155Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia 1.241.270.0310.20.3110.44677
156Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda 1.240.59−0.6636.35−23.9917.29556
157Flag of Laos.svg Laos 1.221.620.46.652.668.830328
158Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso 1.210.98−0.2216.46−3.6213.33124
159Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia 1.211.09−0.1114.86−1.6313.38628
160Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia 1.212.571.354.195.668.899421
161Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal 1.211.05−0.1613.73−2.2011.91446
162Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon 1.171.690.5221.711.2831.34444
163Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea 1.170.6−0.5724.76−14.1112.69744
164Flag of India.svg India 1.160.45−0.711380−878.05479.7504
165Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria 1.160.7−0.47168.83−79.35101.8802
166Flag of Togo (3-2).svg Togo 1.130.53−0.66.64−3.983.114336
167Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines 1.10.54−0.5696.71−54.1647.47582
168Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros 1.030.32−0.70.72−0.500.223689
169Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia 1.030.82−0.211.79−0.381.425049
170Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya 1.030.51−0.5243.18−22.4521.38039
171Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen 1.030.5−0.5323.85−12.6411.57767
172Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia 1.020.58−0.4491.73−40.3652.1602
173Flag of Madagascar.svg Madagascar 0.992.631.6422.2936.5659.21485
174Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia 0.992.231.2414.0817.4631.71556
175Flag of Nepal.svg   Nepal 0.980.59−0.3827.47−10.4416.53806
176Flag of Angola.svg Angola 0.932.551.6120.8235.5257.0871
177Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan 0.910.53−0.388.01−3.044.665165
178Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique 0.872.061.1925.229.9959.66897
179Flag of Rwanda.svg Rwanda 0.870.54−0.3211.46−3.677.113103
180Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Congo, Democratic Republic of the 0.823.072.2565.7147.83245.9744
181Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi 0.810.66−0.1515.91−2.3912.9637
182Flag of Burundi.svg Burundi 0.80.32−0.489.85−4.733.94
183Flag of the Taliban.svg Afghanistan 0.790.5−0.329.82−8.9518.87342
184Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan 0.790.35−0.44179.16−78.8379.37468
185Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh 0.720.38−0.35154.7−54.1581.64722
186Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti 0.610.27−0.3410.17−3.464.501475
187Flag of East Timor.svg Timor-Leste 0.481.781.31.111.444.11625
188Flag of Eritrea.svg Eritrea 0.491.30.886.135.3916.26327

*Assumes that biocapacity and ecological footprint per person will not change when population changes.

See also

World map of countries by their raw ecological footprint compared against the global average biocapacity of 2.1 gha per person in 2007. World map of countries by ecological footprint (2007).svg
World map of countries by their raw ecological footprint compared against the global average biocapacity of 2.1 gha per person in 2007.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Open Data Platform". data.footprintnetwork.org. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  2. https://footprint.info.yorku.ca
  3. https://www.FoDaFo.org

"National Footprint Accounts 2016, Open Data Platform". Global Footprint Network. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.