Canada vs Mexico: Emissions of air pollutants
Canada
1.41 million tonnes
in 2022
Mexico
1.23 million tonnes
in 2022
Canada rank
15th
Mexico rank
17th
Emissions of air pollutants over time
- Canada
- Mexico
How they compare
Canada currently reports 1.41 million tonnes against 1.23 million tonnes in Mexico, a difference of 178,160 tonnes.
That makes Canada's figure about 1.1 times Mexico's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 273 shared years of data; in 1750 it was Mexico ahead.
Canada ranks 15th and Mexico ranks 17th of 220 countries.
Across the 28 decades both report, Canada averaged higher in 18 and Mexico in 10.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | Mexico | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 407.02 tonnes | 1,948 tonnes | 1,541 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1760s | 470.27 tonnes | 2,009 tonnes | 1,538 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1770s | 545.99 tonnes | 2,071 tonnes | 1,525 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1780s | 642.01 tonnes | 2,134 tonnes | 1,492 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1790s | 757.25 tonnes | 2,199 tonnes | 1,442 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1800s | 893.22 tonnes | 2,283 tonnes | 1,390 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1810s | 1,154 tonnes | 2,392 tonnes | 1,239 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1820s | 1,619 tonnes | 2,525 tonnes | 905.93 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1830s | 2,283 tonnes | 2,691 tonnes | 408.24 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1840s | 3,290 tonnes | 2,871 tonnes | 418.84 tonnes | Canada |
| 1850s | 4,991 tonnes | 3,139 tonnes | 1,852 tonnes | Canada |
| 1860s | 8,683 tonnes | 3,487 tonnes | 5,196 tonnes | Canada |
| 1870s | 13,289 tonnes | 4,075 tonnes | 9,214 tonnes | Canada |
| 1880s | 31,921 tonnes | 5,101 tonnes | 26,820 tonnes | Canada |
| 1890s | 49,261 tonnes | 8,063 tonnes | 41,198 tonnes | Canada |
| 1900s | 104,285 tonnes | 17,020 tonnes | 87,264 tonnes | Canada |
| 1910s | 262,408 tonnes | 75,997 tonnes | 186,411 tonnes | Canada |
| 1920s | 352,656 tonnes | 130,693 tonnes | 221,963 tonnes | Canada |
| 1930s | 444,487 tonnes | 178,381 tonnes | 266,106 tonnes | Canada |
| 1940s | 727,692 tonnes | 212,333 tonnes | 515,359 tonnes | Canada |
| 1950s | 1.07 million tonnes | 289,336 tonnes | 777,560 tonnes | Canada |
| 1960s | 1.65 million tonnes | 444,849 tonnes | 1.21 million tonnes | Canada |
| 1970s | 2.63 million tonnes | 888,594 tonnes | 1.75 million tonnes | Canada |
| 1980s | 2.72 million tonnes | 1.56 million tonnes | 1.17 million tonnes | Canada |
| 1990s | 2.73 million tonnes | 1.88 million tonnes | 848,629 tonnes | Canada |
| 2000s | 2.58 million tonnes | 2.12 million tonnes | 455,898 tonnes | Canada |
| 2010s | 1.78 million tonnes | 1.92 million tonnes | 142,857 tonnes | Mexico |
| 2020s | 1.39 million tonnes | 1.21 million tonnes | 188,673 tonnes | Canada |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher emissions of air pollutants, Canada or Mexico?
- Canada, at 1.41 million tonnes against 1.23 million tonnes in Mexico as of 2022.
- What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between Canada and Mexico?
- 178,160 tonnes, with Canada ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and Mexico?
- 273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.
- How do Canada and Mexico rank globally for emissions of air pollutants?
- Canada ranks 15th and Mexico ranks 17th 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.