Category / Environment and climate / Income and assets

Based on data from the study “Living in Germany,” researchers have calculated the annual carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per capita in Germany, specifically for the areas of housing, food, and mobility. Taken together, they amount to 6.5 tons of CO₂ equivalents per year, which is more than twice as much as would be climate-friendly according to the Federal Environment Agency (namely one to three tons per person).

It is noticeable that emissions increase with income levels. This is mainly due to the higher mobility of high-income households. Flights are particularly significant: for example, an intra-European flight causes 0.5 tons of CO₂ and a transcontinental flight 4.7 tons.

Further information

Einkommensstarke Haushalte verursachen mehr Treibhausgasemissionen – vor allem wegen ihres Mobilitätsverhaltens. DIW Weekly Report 27/2024 (in German).

Frankfurter Rundschau: Reiche verursachen doppelt so viele Emissionen wie arme Haushalte

All results in the overview

Image by Artur Voznenko on Unsplash …