Ecological Deficit/Reserve

An ecological deficit occurs when the Ecological Footprint of a population exceeds the biocapacity of the area available to that population. A national ecological deficit means that the country is net-importing biocapacity through trade, liquidating national ecological assets or emitting more carbon dioxide waste into the atmosphere than its own ecosystems absorb. In contrast, an ecological reserve exists when the biocapacity of a region exceeds its population's Ecological Footprint.

BIOCAPACITY CREDITORS
Biocapacity greater than Footprint

  • >150%

  • 100% - 150%

  • 50% - 100%

  • 50% - 0%

BIOCAPACITY DEBTORS
Footprint greater than biocapacity

  • >150%

  • 100% - 150%

  • 50% - 100%

  • 50% - 0%

COUNTRIES WITH BIOCAPACITY RESERVE

Percentage that biocapacity exceeds Ecological Footprint

    COUNTRIES WITH BIOCAPACITY DEFICIT

    Percentage that Ecological Footprint exceeds biocapacity

      x
      Population
      GDP per person
      Biocapacity
      per person
      gha
      question-mark
      -
      Ecological Footprint
      per person
      gha
      question-mark
      =
      BIOCAPACITY
      RESERVE(+)/DEFICIT(-)
      question-mark

      Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity
      From 1961 to 2022
      (last 3 years are estimates)

      Ecological Footprint per person
      Biocapacity per person
      Data Sources:National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts2023 edition (Data Year 2019); GDP, International Financial Statistics (IFS); Population, U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.