Australia vs Nigeria: Emissions of air pollutants
Australia
1.04 million tonnes
in 2022
Nigeria
1.02 million tonnes
in 2022
Australia rank
23rd
Nigeria rank
24th
Emissions of air pollutants over time
- Australia
- Nigeria
How they compare
Australia currently reports 1.04 million tonnes against 1.02 million tonnes in Nigeria, a difference of 24,440 tonnes.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 273 shared years of data; in 1750 it was Nigeria ahead.
Australia ranks 23rd and Nigeria ranks 24th of 220 countries.
Across the 28 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 18 and Nigeria in 10.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 0 tonnes | 2,370 tonnes | 2,370 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1760s | 0 tonnes | 2,377 tonnes | 2,377 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1770s | 0 tonnes | 2,383 tonnes | 2,383 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1780s | 1.25 tonnes | 2,390 tonnes | 2,389 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1790s | 5.65 tonnes | 2,396 tonnes | 2,391 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1800s | 18.86 tonnes | 2,418 tonnes | 2,399 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1810s | 65.52 tonnes | 2,465 tonnes | 2,399 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1820s | 222.06 tonnes | 2,518 tonnes | 2,296 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1830s | 606.45 tonnes | 2,573 tonnes | 1,966 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1840s | 1,671 tonnes | 2,627 tonnes | 956.63 tonnes | Nigeria |
| 1850s | 4,868 tonnes | 2,718 tonnes | 2,149 tonnes | Australia |
| 1860s | 10,615 tonnes | 2,897 tonnes | 7,718 tonnes | Australia |
| 1870s | 16,862 tonnes | 3,189 tonnes | 13,673 tonnes | Australia |
| 1880s | 28,675 tonnes | 3,594 tonnes | 25,081 tonnes | Australia |
| 1890s | 38,674 tonnes | 4,053 tonnes | 34,621 tonnes | Australia |
| 1900s | 68,834 tonnes | 5,672 tonnes | 63,162 tonnes | Australia |
| 1910s | 89,155 tonnes | 9,825 tonnes | 79,330 tonnes | Australia |
| 1920s | 97,110 tonnes | 17,021 tonnes | 80,089 tonnes | Australia |
| 1930s | 94,899 tonnes | 25,896 tonnes | 69,003 tonnes | Australia |
| 1940s | 123,181 tonnes | 36,962 tonnes | 86,219 tonnes | Australia |
| 1950s | 325,995 tonnes | 59,062 tonnes | 266,933 tonnes | Australia |
| 1960s | 772,310 tonnes | 95,084 tonnes | 677,227 tonnes | Australia |
| 1970s | 1.16 million tonnes | 217,679 tonnes | 945,194 tonnes | Australia |
| 1980s | 1.40 million tonnes | 375,903 tonnes | 1.03 million tonnes | Australia |
| 1990s | 1.57 million tonnes | 475,599 tonnes | 1.09 million tonnes | Australia |
| 2000s | 1.46 million tonnes | 630,834 tonnes | 828,651 tonnes | Australia |
| 2010s | 1.28 million tonnes | 894,193 tonnes | 389,631 tonnes | Australia |
| 2020s | 1.09 million tonnes | 996,878 tonnes | 92,148 tonnes | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher emissions of air pollutants, Australia or Nigeria?
- Australia, at 1.04 million tonnes against 1.02 million tonnes in Nigeria as of 2022.
- What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between Australia and Nigeria?
- 24,440 tonnes, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Nigeria?
- 273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.
- How do Australia and Nigeria rank globally for emissions of air pollutants?
- Australia ranks 23rd and Nigeria ranks 24th of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) are gases that are mainly formed during the burning of fossil fuels. Exposure to NOₓ gases can have negative impacts on respiratory health. NOₓ gases can also lead to the formation of ozone – another air pollutant.