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Environment > Ecological footprint: Countries Compared

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Edria Murray, Staff editor

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>
SHOW ALL
LESS
DEFINITION: Ecological footprint per capita
Units: Hectares per Person.
SHOW ALL
LESS

CONTENTS

SHARE TWEET EMBED EXPORT
# 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

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Environment > Ecological footprint: Countries Compared Map

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Interesting observations about Environment > Ecological footprint

  • United States ranked first for ecological footprint amongst Christian countries in 2000.
  • United Arab Emirates ranked first for ecological footprint amongst Muslim countries in 2000.
  • Denmark ranked first for ecological footprint amongst Europe in 2000.
  • Kuwait ranked first for ecological footprint amongst Hot countries in 2000.
  • Estonia ranked first for ecological footprint amongst Emerging markets in 2000.
  • South Africa ranked first for ecological footprint amongst Sub-Saharan Africa in 2000.
  • Ireland ranked first for ecological footprint amongst Catholic countries in 2000.
  • Lebanon ranked first for ecological footprint amongst Former French colonies in 2000.
  • Australia ranked first for ecological footprint amongst Sparsely populated countries in 2000.
  • Czech Republic ranked first for ecological footprint amongst Landlocked countries in 2000.
  • Canada ranked second for ecological footprint amongst NATO countries in 2000.

1

<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>

Posted on 14 Feb 2005

Edria Murray, Staff editor

Edria Murray, Staff editor

0

Wrong the highest ecological footprint is united arab emirates which you got right but its amount is actually know to be 11.9 global hectares per person

Posted on 17 Aug 2010

Ona

Ona

0

People all over the world take the <a href="http://lowest-rate-loans.com/topics/mortgage-loans">mortgage loans</a> from various banks, because it is comfortable.

Posted on 20 Mar 2010

Fitzpatrick27Jeri

Fitzpatrick27Jeri

0

If you're having difficulty finding a country, simply press ctrl+f and a box should appear. then simply type in what you're looking for and it will find it for you, like magic!

and Austria is #27: 5.45

:)

Posted on 14 Mar 2010

Helpful Tom

Helpful Tom

0

Lesotho is never on these things...=( There goes my "A"

Posted on 09 Feb 2010

failed report

failed report

0

Can anyone help find Austrias footprint? I can't... but I am not the smartest cookie- so some help please??

Posted on 26 Jan 2010

Aleavae Carrok

Aleavae Carrok

0

Japan 5.94 gh

Posted on 05 Jan 2010

inq

inq

Factoid #214

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