Environment > Ecological footprint: Countries Compared
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Author: Edria Murray, Staff editor
<p>The Ecological Footprint is a method of measuring and analysing resource consumption and waste output compared to the renewable capacity of nature.
It represents the amount of productive land area needed to produce the resources (food,
energy and materials) and to absorb the wastes produced by an individual. Since 1980, the
average per capita ecological footprint has decreased as many processes (especially crop
production) have become more efficient.</p>
<p>If the ecological footprint exceeds the available productive land, The resource use is
considered unsustainable.</p>
<p>Globally, the available ecologically productive land area included in the Ecological
footprint analysis is 1.89 hectares for each person. The footprint takes into account fossil
fuel use, cropland, forests, nuclear and hydroelectric power, fisheries and buildings.</p>
<p>Countries with a high <a href=/graph/eco_gdp_ppp_cap&int=-1>per capita GDP</a> have a
high global footprint as they also have a high level of fossil fuel consumption. Some
european countries including Denmark, Netherlands, Austria, the United kingdom and Finland have taken steps to reduce their per capita global footprint.</p>
It represents the amount of productive land area needed to produce the resources (food,
energy and materials) and to absorb the wastes produced by an individual. Since 1980, the
average per capita ecological footprint has decreased as many processes (especially crop
production) have become more efficient.</p>
<p>If the ecological footprint exceeds the available productive land, The resource use is
considered unsustainable.</p>
<p>Globally, the available ecologically productive land area included in the Ecological
footprint analysis is 1.89 hectares for each person. The footprint takes into account fossil
fuel use, cropland, forests, nuclear and hydroelectric power, fisheries and buildings.</p>
<p>Countries with a high <a href=/graph/eco_gdp_ppp_cap&int=-1>per capita GDP</a> have a
high global footprint as they also have a high level of fossil fuel consumption. Some
european countries including Denmark, Netherlands, Austria, the United kingdom and Finland have taken steps to reduce their per capita global footprint.</p>
CONTENTS
# | COUNTRY | AMOUNT | DATE | GRAPH | HISTORY |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United Arab Emirates | 15.99 | 2000 | ||
2 | United States | 12.22 | 2000 | ||
3 | Kuwait | 10.31 | 2000 | ||
4 | Denmark | 9.88 | 2000 | ||
5 | Ireland | 9.43 | 2000 | ||
6 | Australia | 8.49 | 2000 | ||
7 | Finland | 8.45 | 2000 | ||
8 | Canada | 7.66 | 2000 | ||
9 | Sweden | 7.53 | 2000 | ||
Group of 7 countries (G7) average (profile) | 7.31 | 2000 | |||
10 | Estonia | 7.12 | 2000 | ||
High income OECD countries average (profile) | 6.63 | 2000 | |||
11 | Czech Republic | 6.3 | 2000 | ||
12 | Saudi Arabia | 6.15 | 2000 | ||
Eurozone average (profile) | 6.02 | 2000 | |||
13 | Iceland | 6.02 | 2000 | ||
14 | Belgium | 5.88 | 2000 | ||
European Union average (profile) | 5.81 | 2000 | |||
15 | Netherlands | 5.75 | 2000 | ||
16 | South Korea | 5.6 | 2000 | ||
17 | Greece | 5.58 | 2000 | ||
18 | Italy | 5.51 | 2000 | ||
19 | Spain | 5.5 | 2000 | ||
=20 | Slovenia | 5.4 | 2000 | ||
=20 | Poland | 5.4 | 2000 | ||
22 | Russia | 5.36 | 2000 | ||
NATO countries average (profile) | 5.33 | 2000 | |||
23 | Austria | 5.3 | 2012 | ||
24 | Belarus | 5.27 | 2000 | ||
Non-religious countries average (profile) | 5.17 | 2000 | |||
25 | Hungary | 5.01 | 2000 | ||
26 | Switzerland | 5 | 2012 | ||
27 | Portugal | 4.99 | 2000 | ||
Cold countries average (profile) | 4.99 | 2000 | |||
28 | Uruguay | 4.91 | 2000 | ||
29 | France | 4.9 | 2012 | ||
30 | Norway | 4.8 | 2012 | ||
OPEC countries average (profile) | 4.78 | 2000 | |||
=31 | Lithuania | 4.76 | 2000 | ||
=31 | Ukraine | 4.76 | 2000 | ||
33 | United Kingdom | 4.7 | 2012 | ||
34 | Germany | 4.6 | 2012 | ||
35 | Kazakhstan | 4.45 | 2000 | ||
36 | Libya | 4.36 | 2000 | ||
Middle Eastern and North Africa average (profile) | 4.31 | 2000 | |||
=37 | New Zealand | 4.3 | 2012 | ||
=37 | Mongolia | 4.3 | 2000 | ||
39 | Japan | 4.2 | 2012 | ||
40 | South Africa | 4.04 | 2000 | ||
41 | Israel | 4 | 2012 | ||
42 | Slovakia | 3.94 | 2000 | ||
43 | Bulgaria | 3.81 | 2000 | ||
44 | Latvia | 3.74 | 2000 | ||
45 | Malaysia | 3.68 | 2000 | ||
46 | Turkmenistan | 3.62 | 2000 | ||
Former Soviet republics average (profile) | 3.59 | 2000 | |||
47 | Romania | 3.49 | 2000 | ||
48 | Oman | 3.39 | 2000 | ||
49 | Mexico | 3.3 | 2012 | ||
Emerging markets average (profile) | 3.28 | 2000 | |||
50 | Republic of Macedonia | 3.24 | 2000 | ||
51 | Chile | 3.2 | 2012 | ||
52 | Lebanon | 3.19 | 2000 | ||
=53 | Panama | 3 | 2012 | ||
=53 | Venezuela | 3 | 2012 | ||
55 | Brazil | 2.9 | 2012 | ||
56 | Paraguay | 2.84 | 2000 | ||
57 | Argentina | 2.7 | 2012 | ||
58 | Uzbekistan | 2.65 | 2000 | ||
59 | Turkey | 2.6 | 2012 | ||
Muslim countries average (profile) | 2.58 | 2000 | |||
60 | Costa Rica | 2.5 | 2012 | ||
61 | Iran | 2.47 | 2000 | ||
62 | Trinidad and Tobago | 2.43 | 2000 | ||
=63 | Ecuador | 2.4 | 2012 | ||
=63 | Thailand | 2.4 | 2012 | ||
65 | Croatia | 2.35 | 2000 | ||
Former Spanish colonies average (profile) | 2.31 | 2000 | |||
66 | Azerbaijan | 2.18 | 2000 | ||
=67 | Belize | 2.1 | 2012 | ||
=67 | Moldova | 2.1 | 2012 | ||
=67 | Jordan | 2.1 | 2012 | ||
=67 | Guyana | 2.1 | 2012 | ||
71 | Gabon | 2.06 | 2000 | ||
=72 | Peru | 2 | 2012 | ||
=72 | El Salvador | 2 | 2012 | ||
74 | North Korea | 1.92 | 2000 | ||
75 | Cuba | 1.9 | 2012 | ||
76 | China | 1.84 | 2000 | ||
=77 | Colombia | 1.8 | 2012 | ||
=77 | Guatemala | 1.8 | 2012 | ||
=77 | Tunisia | 1.8 | 2012 | ||
=77 | Albania | 1.8 | 2012 | ||
South and Central Asia average (profile) | 1.73 | 2000 | |||
=81 | Honduras | 1.7 | 2012 | ||
=81 | Jamaica | 1.7 | 2012 | ||
=81 | Egypt | 1.7 | 2000 | ||
84 | Botswana | 1.68 | 2000 | ||
=85 | Algeria | 1.6 | 2012 | ||
=85 | Nicaragua | 1.6 | 2012 | ||
87 | Syria | 1.5 | 2012 | ||
88 | Zimbabwe | 1.45 | 2000 | ||
=89 | Iraq | 1.4 | 2012 | ||
=89 | Vietnam | 1.4 | 2012 | ||
=89 | Palestine | 1.4 | 2012 | ||
=89 | Dominican Republic | 1.4 | 2012 | ||
=89 | Papua New Guinea | 1.4 | 2000 | ||
94 | Dominica | 1.37 | 2000 | ||
95 | Nigeria | 1.31 | 2000 | ||
=96 | Laos | 1.3 | 2012 | ||
=96 | Morocco | 1.3 | 2012 | ||
=96 | Kyrgyzstan | 1.3 | 2012 | ||
=99 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1.29 | 2000 | ||
=99 | Bolivia | 1.29 | 2000 | ||
Former French colonies average (profile) | 1.25 | 2000 | |||
101 | Mauritania | 1.22 | 2000 | ||
102 | Zambia | 1.21 | 2000 | ||
=103 | Madagascar | 1.2 | 2012 | ||
=103 | Sri Lanka | 1.2 | 2012 | ||
=105 | Liberia | 1.16 | 2000 | ||
=105 | Armenia | 1.16 | 2000 | ||
=107 | Kenya | 1.15 | 2000 | ||
=107 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1.15 | 2000 | ||
109 | Sudan | 1.14 | 2000 | ||
=110 | Central African Republic | 1.12 | 2000 | ||
=110 | Ghana | 1.12 | 2000 | ||
112 | Indonesia | 1.1 | 2012 | ||
failed states average (profile) | 1.08 | 2000 | |||
113 | Burma | 1.07 | 2000 | ||
114 | Senegal | 1.06 | 2000 | ||
115 | Tanzania | 1.02 | 2000 | ||
116 | Nepal | 1.01 | 2000 | ||
117 | Philippines | 1 | 2012 | ||
118 | The Gambia | 0.99 | 2000 | ||
=119 | Somalia | 0.97 | 2000 | ||
=119 | Benin | 0.97 | 2000 | ||
=119 | Niger | 0.97 | 2000 | ||
122 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.95 | 2000 | ||
=123 | Tajikistan | 0.9 | 2012 | ||
=123 | India | 0.9 | 2012 | ||
=123 | Burkina Faso | 0.9 | 2000 | ||
=123 | Rwanda | 0.9 | 2000 | ||
127 | Cameroon | 0.89 | 2000 | ||
South Asia average (profile) | 0.885 | 2000 | |||
128 | Uganda | 0.88 | 2000 | ||
129 | Malawi | 0.87 | 2000 | ||
130 | Mali | 0.86 | 2000 | ||
=131 | Ethiopia | 0.85 | 2000 | ||
=131 | Guinea | 0.85 | 2000 | ||
133 | Cambodia | 0.83 | 2000 | ||
=134 | Togo | 0.82 | 2000 | ||
=134 | Angola | 0.82 | 2000 | ||
=136 | Pakistan | 0.8 | 2012 | ||
=136 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.8 | 2000 | ||
138 | Bhutan | 0.79 | 2000 | ||
139 | Haiti | 0.78 | 2000 | ||
140 | Mozambique | 0.76 | 2000 | ||
=141 | Chad | 0.75 | 2000 | ||
=141 | Burundi | 0.75 | 2000 | ||
143 | Sierra Leone | 0.73 | 2000 | ||
144 | Bangladesh | 0.7 | 2012 | ||
145 | Namibia | 0.66 | 2000 |
Citation
1
It represents the amount of productive land area needed to produce the resources (food,
energy and materials) and to absorb the wastes produced by an individual. Since 1980, the
average per capita ecological footprint has decreased as many processes (especially crop
production) have become more efficient.</p>
<p>If the ecological footprint exceeds the available productive land, The resource use is
considered unsustainable.</p>
<p>Globally, the available ecologically productive land area included in the Ecological
footprint analysis is 1.89 hectares for each person. The footprint takes into account fossil
fuel use, cropland, forests, nuclear and hydroelectric power, fisheries and buildings.</p>
<p>Countries with a high <a href=/graph/eco_gdp_ppp_cap&int=-1>per capita GDP</a> have a
high global footprint as they also have a high level of fossil fuel consumption. Some
european countries including Denmark, Netherlands, Austria, the United kingdom and Finland have taken steps to reduce their per capita global footprint.</p>
Posted on 14 Feb 2005
Edria Murray, Staff editor
0
Posted on 17 Aug 2010
Ona
0
Posted on 20 Mar 2010
Fitzpatrick27Jeri
0
and Austria is #27: 5.45
:)
Posted on 14 Mar 2010
Helpful Tom