List of countries by ecological footprint

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]

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.[1]
  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

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)
World2.751.63-1.127000-10400 2500
1 Luxembourg15.821.68−14.140.52−7.35 0.055221
2 Aruba11.880.57−11.310.1−1.13 0.004798
3 Qatar10.81.24−9.562.05−19.60 0.23537
4 Australia9.3116.577.2623.05167.34 41.02454
5 United States8.223.76−4.46317.5−1416.05 145.2311
6 Canada8.1716.017.8334.84272.80 68.27275
7 Kuwait8.130.55−7.583.25−24.64 0.219865
8 Singapore7.970.05−7.925.3−41.98 0.03325
9 United Kingdom7.930.56−7.3765.648−483.83 4.635924
10 Trinidad and Tobago7.921.56−6.361.34−8.52 0.263939
11 Montserrat7.781.36−6.420.005−0.03 0.000874
12 Oman7.521.92−5.63.31−18.54 0.845106
13 Bahrain7.490.58−6.911.32−9.12 0.102216
14 Belgium7.441.19−6.2511.06−69.13 1.769005
15 Sweden7.2510.623.389.5132.14 13.93051
16 Estonia6.8610.533.671.294.73 1.980131
17 Bahamas6.849.552.710.371.00 0.516594
18 Latvia6.299.553.262.066.72 3.127663
19 Israel6.220.35−5.877.64−44.85 0.429904
20 Mongolia6.0815.669.582.826.82 7.211842
21 Austria6.063.07−38.46−25.38 4.285842
22 Taiwan5.931.0−4.1323.61.00 3.979764
22 Finland5.8713.447.575.4140.95 12.38678
23 Lithuania5.835.67−0.173.03−0.52 2.946844
24 Slovenia5.812.35−3.472.07−7.18 0.837263
25  Switzerland5.791.3−4.488−35.84 1.7962
26 Bermuda5.770.13−5.640.06−0.34 0.001352
27 South Korea5.690.68−5.0149−245.49 5.855888
28 Russia5.696.791.1143.17157.49 170.8479
29 Cayman Islands5.650.32−5.330.06−0.32 0.003398
30 Saudi Arabia5.610.5−5.1228.29−144.84 2.52139
31 New Zealand5.610.144.544.4620.25 8.075786
32 Ireland5.573.73−1.834.58−8.38 3.067038
33 Kazakhstan5.553.41−2.1416.27−34.82 9.996523
34 Denmark5.514.78−0.735.6−4.09 4.858076
35 Turkmenistan5.472.79−2.685.17−13.86 2.636984
36 Antigua and Barbuda5.380.94−4.440.09−0.40 0.015725
37 Germany5.32.27−3.0282.8−250.06 35.4634
38 Netherlands5.281.17−4.1116.71−68.68 3.702784
39 Czech Republic5.192.46−2.7310.66−29.10 5.052717
40 France5.143.11−2.0463.98−130.52 38.71163
41 Belarus5.093.64−1.459.4−13.63 6.7222
42 Japan5.020.72−4.3127.25−547.18 18.251
43 Norway4.988.183.194.9915.92 8.196426
44 Saint Kitts and Nevis4.940.62−4.310.05−0.22 0.006275
45 United Arab Emirates4.941.32−3.626.30−22.82 1.683401
46 Bhutan4.845.270.430.740.32 0.805744
47 French Polynesia4.731.37−3.360.27−0.91 0.078203
48 Italy4.611.08−3.5360.92−215.05 14.27193
49 Barbados4.480.19−4.290.28−1.20 0.011875
50 Poland4.442.08−2.3638.21−90.18 17.90018
51 Greece4.381.61−2.7711.12−30.80 4.087489
52 Chile4.363.63−0.7317.46−12.75 14.53665
53 Suriname4.2589.3385.080.5445.94 11.35016
54 Cyprus4.210.34−3.871.13−4.37 0.091259
55 Paraguay4.1610.526.366.6942.55 16.91798
56 Brunei4.062.87−1.190.41−0.49 0.289828
57 Slovakia4.062.71−1.355.45−7.36 3.637808
58 Equatorial Guinea3.974.40.440.740.33 0.820151
59 Croatia3.922.8−1.124.31−4.83 3.078571
60 Portugal3.881.51−2.3710.6−25.12 4.125258
61 Lebanon3.840.33−3.514.65−16.32 0.399609
62 Botswana3.833.47−0.352−0.70 1.81201
63 Montenegro3.783.24−0.540.62−0.33 0.531429
64 Malaysia3.712.41−1.329.24−38.01 18.99418
65 Libya3.690.7−36.16−18.48 1.168564
66 Spain3.671.25−2.4246.76−113.16 15.92643
67 Réunion3.650.18−3.470.86−2.98 0.042411
68 New Caledonia3.587.674.090.251.02 0.535615
69 Venezuela3.572.78−0.7929.96−23.67 23.3302
70 Mauritius3.460.71−2.751.24−3.41 0.254451
71 China3.380.94−2.441408.04−3435.62 391.5851
72 Turkey3.331.52−1.8174−133.94 33.77778
73 Bulgaria3.322.86−0.467.28−3.35 6.271325
74 South Africa3.311.15−2.1652.39−113.16 18.20196
75 Macedonia3.261.51−1.752.11−3.69 0.977331
76 Guadeloupe3.230.45−2.770.46−1.27 0.064087
77 Argentina3.146.923.7841.09155.32 90.55503
78 Bosnia and Herzegovina3.121.63−1.493.83−5.71 2.000929
79 Brazil3.119.085.97198.661186.00 580.0105
80 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines3.111.26−1.850.11−0.20 0.044566
81 Guyana3.0766.5863.510.850.81 17.34984
82 Grenada2.981.96−1.010.1−0.10 0.065772
83 Bolivia2.9616.7313.7710.5144.59 59.34628
84 Nauru2.940.19−2.760.01−0.03 0.000646
85 Hungary2.922.17−0.759.98−7.49 7.416644
86 Uruguay2.9110.327.413.425.19 12.05773
87 Fiji2.92.37−0.520.88−0.46 0.719172
88 Mexico2.891.27−1.62120.85−195.78 53.10709
89 British Virgin Islands2.862.05−0.810.03−0.02 0.021503
90 Costa Rica2.841.53−1.314.8−6.29 2.585915
91 Ukraine2.842.27−0.5845.53−26.41 36.39194
92 Iran2.790.9−1.8976.42−144.43 24.65161
93 Panama2.792.940.153.80.57 4.004301
94 Samoa2.771.93−0.850.19−0.16 0.132383
95 Romania2.712.32−0.3921.76−8.49 18.62849
96 Serbia2.71.25−1.449.55−13.75 4.421296
97 Tonga2.71.48−1.220.1−0.12 0.054815
98 Thailand2.661.24−1.4266.78−94.83 31.13053
99 Dominica2.571.03−1.540.07−0.11 0.028054
100 Mauritania2.544.481.933.87.33 6.702362
101 Cape Verde2.520.62−1.90.49−0.93 0.120556
102 Namibia2.486.884.42.269.94 6.269677
103 Saint Lucia2.450.34−2.10.18−0.38 0.02498
104 French Guiana2.34111.35109.010.2426.16 11.42051
105 Tunisia2.340.93−1.410.88−15.23 4.324103
106 Uzbekistan2.320.92−1.428.54−39.96 11.31759
107 Azerbaijan2.310.85−1.469.31−13.59 3.425758
108 Peru2.283.971.6929.9950.68 52.21943
109 Armenia2.230.89−1.352.97−4.01 1.185336
110 Albania2.211.18−1.033.16−3.25 1.68724
111 Djibouti2.190.77−1.420.86−1.22 0.302374
112 Ecuador2.172.20.0315.490.46 15.70415
113 Egypt2.150.56−1.5980.72−128.34 21.02474
114 Algeria2.120.59−1.5338.48−58.87 10.70906
115 Jordan2.10.21−1.897.01−13.25 0.701
116 Martinique2.080.39−1.70.4−0.68 0.075
117 El Salvador2.070.61−1.466.3−9.20 1.856522
118 Wallis and Futuna2.071.51−0.560.01−0.01 0.007295
119 Gabon2.0226.3124.291.6339.59 21.23035
120 Swaziland2.010.88−1.141.23−1.40 0.538507
121 Ghana1.971.35−0.6225.37−15.73 17.38553
122 Cuba1.950.76−1.1911.27−13.41 4.39241
123 Kyrgyzstan1.911.3−0.615.47−3.34 3.723037
124 Papua New Guinea1.913.922.017.1714.41 14.71539
125 Guatemala1.890.99−0.915.08−13.57 7.899048
126 Jamaica1.890.43−1.462.77−4.04 0.630212
127 Iraq1.880.29−1.5932.78−52.12 5.056489
128 Colombia1.873.61.7247.782.04 91.82888
129 Moldova1.780.8−0.983.51−3.44 1.577528
130 Honduras1.681.770.097.940.71 8.365357
131 Morocco1.680.71−0.9632.52−31.22 13.74357
132 Lesotho1.660.78−0.872.05−1.78 0.963253
133 Vietnam1.651−0.6590.8−59.02 55.0303
134 Georgia1.581.17−0.414.36−1.79 3.228608
135 Indonesia1.581.26−0.32246.86−79.00 196.863
136 Niger1.561.24−0.3217.16−5.49 13.64
137 Dominican Republic1.530.56−0.9710.28−9.97 3.762614
138 Guinea-Bissau1.533.031.491.662.47 3.287451
139 Mali1.531.580.0514.850.74 15.33529
140 Syria1.510.6−0.9121.89−19.92 8.698013
141 Sao Tome and Principe1.490.87−0.610.19−0.12 0.11094
142 Chad1.462.030.5712.457.10 17.31062
143 Myanmar1.431.840.4152.821.65 67.93846
144 Benin1.410.88−0.5310.05−5.33 6.27234
145 Guinea1.412.090.6811.457.79 16.97199
146 Nicaragua1.392.250.875.995.21 9.696043
147 Zimbabwe1.370.62−0.7513.72−10.29 6.209051
148 Sri Lanka1.320.44−0.8821.1−18.57 7.033333
149 Tanzania1.321.08−0.2447.78−11.47 39.09273
150 Congo1.2910.919.634.3441.97 36.70496
151 Solomon Islands1.294.363.080.551.69 1.858915
152 Côte d'Ivoire1.271.780.5119.8410.12 27.80724
153 Central African Republic1.247.876.624.5329.99 28.75089
154 Sierra Leone1.241.2405.980.00 5.98
155 Somalia1.241.270.0310.20.31 10.44677
156 Uganda1.240.59−0.6636.35−23.99 17.29556
157 Laos1.221.620.46.652.66 8.830328
158 Burkina Faso1.210.98−0.2216.46−3.62 13.33124
159 Cambodia1.211.09−0.1114.86−1.63 13.38628
160 Liberia1.212.571.354.195.66 8.899421
161 Senegal1.211.05−0.1613.73−2.20 11.91446
162 Cameroon1.171.690.5221.711.28 31.34444
163 North Korea1.170.6−0.5724.76−14.11 12.69744
164 India1.160.45−0.711236.69−878.05 479.7504
165 Nigeria1.160.7−0.47168.83−79.35 101.8802
166 Togo1.130.53−0.66.64−3.98 3.114336
167 Philippines1.10.54−0.5696.71−54.16 47.47582
168 Comoros1.030.32−0.70.72−0.50 0.223689
169 Gambia1.030.82−0.211.79−0.38 1.425049
170 Kenya1.030.51−0.5243.18−22.45 21.38039
171 Yemen1.030.5−0.5323.85−12.64 11.57767
172 Ethiopia1.020.58−0.4491.73−40.36 52.1602
173 Madagascar0.992.631.6422.2936.56 59.21485
174 Zambia0.992.231.2414.0817.46 31.71556
175   Nepal0.980.59−0.3827.47−10.44 16.53806
176 Angola0.932.551.6120.8235.52 57.0871
177 Tajikistan0.910.53−0.388.01−3.04 4.665165
178 Mozambique0.872.061.1925.229.99 59.66897
179 Rwanda0.870.54−0.3211.46−3.67 7.113103
180 Congo, Democratic Republic of the0.823.072.2565.7147.83 245.9744
181 Malawi0.810.66−0.1515.91−2.39 12.9637
182 Burundi0.80.32−0.489.85−4.73 3.94
183 Afghanistan0.790.5−0.329.82−8.95 18.87342
184 Pakistan0.790.35−0.44179.16−78.83 79.37468
185 Bangladesh0.720.38−0.35154.7−54.15 81.64722
186 Haiti0.610.27−0.3410.17−3.46 4.501475
187 Timor-Leste0.481.781.31.111.44 4.11625
188 Eritrea0.491.30.886.135.39 16.26327

*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.

References

  1. "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.

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