Countries With the Fastest Decline in CO2 emissions (total) (5-Year Change)

Name: Countries With the Fastest Decline in CO2 emissions (total) (5-Year Change)
Creator: The World Bank
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Change in CO2 emissions (total) over the five years to each country's latest year, as a percentage of the earlier value. Only countries that fell are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).

Summary

Lebanon fell the most: by 59.3%, from 27 Mt CO2e to 11 Mt CO2e in the five years to 2024. Ukraine is second (−43%), followed by Estonia (−31.1%). 89 countries fell over that period; the median change among them was −11.5%.

#1: Lebanon · −59.3%
Median: −11.5%
Coverage: 89 countries
Data year: 2024
Last updated: 2026-11-14

Top 10: 5-year change (%). Bar chart of the top 10: 1. Lebanon -59.3; 2. Ukraine -43; 3. Estonia -31.1; 4. Finland -29.5; 5. Luxembourg -26.3; 6. Czechia -25.1; 7. Guam -25; 8. Netherlands -24.8; 9. Portugal -23.4; 10. Bulgaria -23.4.

Full ranking

Countries With the Fastest Decline in CO2 emissions (total) (5-Year Change), 2024
Rank	Country	From	To	5-year change (%)
1	Lebanon	27	11	−59.3%
2	Ukraine	207.9	118.5	−43%
3	Estonia	15.5	10.6	−31.1%
4	Finland	44.1	31.1	−29.5%
5	Luxembourg	9.69	7.15	−26.3%
6	Czechia	103.8	77.7	−25.1%
7	Guam	0.0004	0.0003	−25%
8	Netherlands	158	118.8	−24.8%
9	Portugal	46.4	35.6	−23.4%
10	Bulgaria	44.6	34.2	−23.4%
11	Macao SAR, China	2.25	1.73	−22.8%
12	Hong Kong SAR, China	43.5	34.6	−20.4%
13	Venezuela, RB	120.4	96.4	−19.9%
14	Trinidad and Tobago	33.2	26.8	−19.4%
15	Cabo Verde	0.838	0.676	−19.3%
16	United Kingdom	359	292.4	−18.5%
17	Chile	95.2	77.8	−18.3%
18	Barbados	0.869	0.713	−17.9%
19	Hungary	51.5	42.6	−17.2%
20	Germany	696.5	579.9	−16.7%
21	North Macedonia	8.68	7.3	−15.9%
22	Austria	68.8	58	−15.6%
23	France	322.9	274.5	−15%
24	Denmark	30.1	25.6	−15%
25	Albania	4.98	4.24	−14.9%
26	Greece	61.5	52.5	−14.6%
27	New Zealand	37.2	31.8	−14.6%
28	Malawi	5.61	4.79	−14.5%
29	Yemen, Rep.	12.3	10.6	−14.3%
30	Slovak Republic	34.8	29.9	−14.1%
31	Liberia	1.01	0.867	−14.1%
32	Latvia	7.91	6.81	−13.9%
33	Belgium	100.3	86.6	−13.6%
34	New Caledonia	5.78	5	−13.6%
35	Japan	1,124	972.3	−13.5%
36	Spain	254.4	220.1	−13.5%
37	Benin	8.14	7.05	−13.5%
38	Romania	81.2	70.9	−12.7%
39	Switzerland	38.4	33.7	−12.1%
40	Bhutan	1.81	1.59	−11.9%
41	Norway	45.3	40	−11.8%
42	Israel	65.3	57.7	−11.7%
43	Bermuda	0.303	0.267	−11.6%
44	Poland	312.1	276.1	−11.5%
45	Belarus	61.2	54.2	−11.5%
46	Gibraltar	0.717	0.635	−11.5%
47	Ireland	36.4	32.6	−10.4%
48	Korea, Rep.	655	588	−10.2%
49	Slovenia	14.8	13.3	−10.1%
50	Italy	332.6	299.2	−10%
51	Moldova	9.11	8.21	−9.9%
52	Korea, Dem. People's Rep.	73.4	66.2	−9.77%
53	Bosnia and Herzegovina	22.6	20.4	−9.7%
54	Lithuania	14.3	13	−9.28%
55	Myanmar	34.4	31.4	−8.8%
56	Gabon	5.65	5.2	−8.04%
57	South Africa	477.5	440.2	−7.83%
58	São Tomé and Principe	0.159	0.148	−7.17%
59	Fiji	1.62	1.51	−6.94%
60	Sudan	23.5	21.9	−6.83%
61	United States	4,968	4,632	−6.76%
62	Samoa	0.374	0.35	−6.35%
63	Panama	13.2	12.4	−6.07%
64	Australia	407.9	383.4	−6.01%
65	Botswana	7.34	6.9	−6%
66	Paraguay	8.52	8.03	−5.83%
67	Cuba	22.3	21	−5.78%
68	Equatorial Guinea	5.12	4.83	−5.77%
69	Syrian Arab Republic	33.3	31.5	−5.6%
70	Cayman Islands	0.394	0.372	−5.46%
71	Namibia	3.86	3.65	−5.39%
72	Canada	609.1	578	−5.11%
73	Sweden	39.5	37.8	−4.36%
74	Jamaica	8.44	8.07	−4.33%
75	Guinea-Bissau	0.357	0.342	−4.04%
76	Timor-Leste	0.728	0.699	−3.97%
77	Eswatini	1.14	1.09	−3.7%
78	Mexico	493.7	476	−3.58%
79	Suriname	2.66	2.58	−3.19%
80	Sri Lanka	24	23.3	−2.66%
81	Morocco	71.9	70	−2.54%
82	Grenada	0.18	0.176	−2.49%
83	Belize	0.398	0.389	−2.34%
84	Haiti	3.59	3.51	−2.26%
85	Dominica	0.086	0.084	−2.2%
86	Seychelles	0.895	0.878	−1.86%
87	Solomon Islands	0.319	0.315	−1.5%
88	Thailand	286.5	283.8	−0.929%
89	Afghanistan	12.1	12.1	−0.306%

About the top 10

#1 Lebanon

Lebanon ranks #1 on this list with −59.3%.

Capital: Beirut
Continent: Asia
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 5.85 million people (2025)
GDP: US$25.97 billion (2024)
GDP per person: US$4,473 (2024)
Life expectancy: 77.9 years (2024)
Urban population: 91% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Beirut.

Also ranks #1 in official exchange rate · #2 in smoking prevalence · #7 in refugee population by asylum.

Full country profile

#2 Ukraine

Ukraine ranks #2 on this list with −43%.

Capital: Kyiv
Continent: Europe
Income group: Upper middle income
Population: 38.98 million people (2025)
GDP: US$214.23 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$5,866 (2025)
Life expectancy: 74.7 years (2024)
Urban population: 69.6% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa.

Also ranks #1 in net migration · #3 in refugee population by origin · #4 in arable land share.

Full country profile Weather in Kiev (Purr Weather)

#3 Estonia

Estonia ranks #3 on this list with −31.1%.

Capital: Tallinn
Continent: Europe
Income group: High income
Population: 1.37 million people (2025)
GDP: US$47.03 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$34,418 (2025)
Life expectancy: 79.3 years (2024)
Urban population: 70.7% of population (2025)

Also ranks #2 in account ownership (female) share · #8 in bank accounts share (adults) · #12 in human capital index.

Full country profile

#4 Finland

Finland ranks #4 on this list with −29.5%.

Capital: Helsinki
Continent: Europe
Income group: High income
Population: 5.65 million people (2025)
GDP: US$317.04 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$56,149 (2025)
Life expectancy: 82.3 years (2024)
Urban population: 74.5% of population (2025)

Also ranks #1 in rule of law score · #2 in bank accounts share (adults) · #2 in control of corruption score.

Full country profile Weather in Helsingfors (Purr Weather)

#5 Luxembourg

Luxembourg ranks #5 on this list with −26.3%.

Capital: Luxembourg
Continent: Europe
Income group: High income
Population: 686,970 people (2025)
GDP: US$101.16 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$147,250 (2025)
Life expectancy: 83.2 years (2024)
Urban population: 94.9% of population (2025)

Also ranks #2 in gdp per capita ppp · #2 in trade share of gdp · #3 in gdp per capita.

Full country profile

#6 Czechia

Czechia ranks #6 on this list with −25.1%.

Capital: Prague
Continent: Europe
Income group: High income
Population: 10.89 million people (2025)
GDP: US$391.03 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$35,917 (2025)
Life expectancy: 80 years (2024)
Urban population: 72.9% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Prague.

Also ranks #5 in alcohol consumption per capita · #7 in tourism arrivals · #12 in hospital beds per 10,000.

Full country profile Weather in Prague (Purr Weather)

#7 Guam

Guam ranks #7 on this list with −25%.

Capital: Hagåtña
Continent: Oceania
Income group: High income
Population: 169,000 people (2025)
GDP: US$6.91 billion (2022)
GDP per person: US$41,833 (2022)
Life expectancy: 77.4 years (2024)
Urban population: 94.2% of population (2025)

Also ranks #1 in voice and accountability score · #16 in nurses and midwives per 1,000 · #16 in diabetes prevalence.

Full country profile

#8 Netherlands

Netherlands ranks #8 on this list with −24.8%.

Capital: Amsterdam
Continent: Europe
Income group: High income
Population: 18.09 million people (2025)
GDP: US$1.33 trillion (2025)
GDP per person: US$73,684 (2025)
Life expectancy: 82 years (2024)
Urban population: 95.9% of population (2025)

Also ranks #4 in fdi outflows · #5 in school enrolment (secondary) · #6 in secure internet servers per million.

Full country profile Weather in Amsterdam (Purr Weather)

#9 Portugal

Portugal ranks #9 on this list with −23.4%.

Capital: Lisbon
Continent: Europe
Income group: High income
Population: 10.81 million people (2025)
GDP: US$346.64 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$32,082 (2025)
Life expectancy: 82.4 years (2024)
Urban population: 61.5% of population (2025)

Also ranks #3 in age dependency ratio (old) · #5 in population ages 65+ share · #5 in physicians per 1,000.

Full country profile Weather in Lisbon (Purr Weather)

#10 Bulgaria

Bulgaria ranks #10 on this list with −23.4%.

Capital: Sofia
Continent: Europe
Income group: High income
Population: 6.43 million people (2025)
GDP: US$130.78 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$20,328 (2025)
Life expectancy: 75.8 years (2024)
Urban population: 74.2% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Sofia.

Also ranks #2 in death rate · #2 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #6 in hospital beds per 10,000.

Full country profile Weather in Sofia (Purr Weather)

Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.

Source and method

Change in CO2 emissions (total) over the five years to each country's latest year, as a percentage of the earlier value. Only countries that fell are listed.

Source: The World Bank, indicator EN.GHG.CO2.MT.CE.AR5. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.

The World Bank: Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e): EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission (via World Development Indicators)

Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission; International Energy Agency (IEA).

Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.

Summary

Full ranking

About the top 10

#1 Lebanon

#2 Ukraine

#3 Estonia

#4 Finland

#5 Luxembourg

#6 Czechia

#7 Guam

#8 Netherlands

#9 Portugal

#10 Bulgaria

Related rankings

Source and method