In 2023, global CO₂ emissions reached 36.7 billion tons. The top five emitting countries—China, the United States, India, Russia, and Japan—contributed a combined total of 22.1 billion tons, accounting for approximately 60.5% of the global emissions. On a per capita basis, Qatar, Brunei, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia were the highest emitters, significantly surpassing the world average of 4.5 tons per person. In stark contrast, countries like Malawi, the Central African Republic, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia had some of the lowest per capita emissions, highlighting the disparity in emissions across different regions.

Compared to the previous year, emissions increased in 107 countries, decreased in 104, and remained stable in 2. The largest decreases were observed in countries like China, the United States, and Russia, while the most significant increases occurred in India and Japan. These trends suggest a mixed global response to emission reduction efforts, with some countries making progress while others are experiencing rising emissions. This highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability on a global scale.