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List of countries by ecological footprint

List of countries by ecological footprint is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of countries by ecological footprint rather than just read about it. In short: This is a list of countries by ecological footprint. The table is based on data spanning from 1961 to 2013 from the Global Footprint Network's National Footprint Accounts published in 2016.

List of countries by ecological footprint — main illustration
List of countries by ecological footprint — illustration

Key takeaways

  • List of countries by ecological footprint belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect List of countries by ecological footprint to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of List of countries by ecological footprint from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

This is a list of countries by ecological footprint. The table is based on data spanning from 1961 to 2013 from the Global Footprint Network's National Footprint Accounts published in 2016. Numbers are given in global hectares per capita. The world-average ecological footprint in 2016 was 2.75 global hectares per person (22.6 billion in total). With a world-average biocapacity of 1.63 global hectares (gha) per person (12.2 billion in total), this leads to a global ecological deficit of 1.1 global hectares per person (10.4 billion in total). For humanity, having a footprint smaller than the planet's biocapacity is a necessary condition for sustainability. After all, ecological overuse is only possible temporarily. A country that consumes more than 1.73 gha per person has a resource demand that is not sustainable world-wide if every country were to exceed that consumption level simultaneously. Countries with a footprint below 1.73 gha per person might not be sustainable: the quality of the footprint may still lead to net long-term ecological destruction. If a country does not have enough ecological resources within its own territory to cover its population's footprint, then it runs an ecological deficit and the country is termed an ecological debtor. Otherwise, it has an ecological reserve and it is called a creditor. To a significant degree, biocapacity correlates with access to water resources.

Countries and regions The table below is based on 2025 results produced by York University, Footprint Data Foundation, and Global Footprint Network, is available on Global Footprint Network's website.

*Assumes that biocapacity and ecological footprint per person will not change when population changes.

See also

List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita Sustainable development List of countries by inequality-adjusted Human Development Index Peak water, water resources and water withdrawal

References

"National Footprint Accounts 2016, Open Data Platform". Global Footprint Network. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.

Illustrations

List of countries by ecological footprint: Countries by sheer ecological footprint per capita (2018)
Countries by sheer ecological footprint per capita (2018)
List of countries by ecological footprint: National ecological surplus or deficit, measured as a country's biocapacity per person (in global hectares) minus its ecological footprint per person (also in global hectares). Data from 2013.[1] .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}  x ≤ −9   −9 < x ≤ −8   −8 < x ≤ −7   −7 < x ≤ −6   −6 < x ≤ −5   −5 < x ≤ −4   −4 < x ≤ −3   −3 < x ≤ −2   −2 < x ≤ −1   −1 < x < 0   0 ≤ x < 2   2 ≤ x < 4   4 ≤ x < 6   6 ≤ x < 8   8 ≤ x   Data unavailable
National ecological surplus or deficit, measured as a country's biocapacity per person (in global hectares) minus its ecological footprint per person (also in global hectares). Data from 2013.[1] .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}  x ≤ −9   −9 < x ≤ −8   −8 < x ≤ −7   −7 < x ≤ −6   −6 < x ≤ −5   −5 < x ≤ −4   −4 < x ≤ −3   −3 < x ≤ −2   −2 < x ≤ −1   −1 < x < 0   0 ≤ x < 2   2 ≤ x < 4   4 ≤ x < 6   6 ≤ x < 8   8 ≤ x   Data unavailable
List of countries by ecological footprint: World map of countries by their raw ecological footprint compared against the global average biocapacity of 2.1 gha per person in 2007.
World map of countries by their raw ecological footprint compared against the global average biocapacity of 2.1 gha per person in 2007.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of countries by ecological footprint

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of countries by ecological footprint claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of countries by ecological footprint before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of countries by ecological footprint ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of countries by ecological footprint

In research
List of countries by ecological footprint appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses List of countries by ecological footprint in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
List of countries by ecological footprint is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Environment-related lists by country, Lists of countries, Lists of countries by population-related issue, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for List of countries by ecological footprint outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study List of countries by ecological footprint in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what List of countries by ecological footprint means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain List of countries by ecological footprint out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is List of countries by ecological footprint in simple terms?

This is a list of countries by ecological footprint. The table is based on data spanning from 1961 to 2013 from the Global Footprint Network's National Footprint Accounts published in 2016.

Why does List of countries by ecological footprint matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of countries by ecological footprint?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of countries by ecological footprint.

Tags

  • Environment-related lists by country
  • Lists of countries
  • Lists of countries by population-related issue
  • Quality of life

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