The National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts (NFAs) measure the ecological resource use and resource capacity of nations over time. Based on approximately 15,000 data points per country per year, the Accounts calculate the Footprints of more than 200 countries, territories, and regions from 1961 to the present, providing the core data needed for all Ecological Footprint analysis worldwide.
Last updated by source: 2023-07-26
| Dataset type: | Time-Series |
| Dataset level: | Country |
(Global Footprint Network,
2023)
Total biocapacity divided by the population size. Units are global hectares (gha) per capita.
More about this variableBiocapacity is the capacity of ecosystems to regenerate what people demand from those surfaces. It is an aggregate measure of the amount of area available, weighted by the productivity of that area. Biocapacity is therefore the ecosystems' capacity to produce biological materials used by people and to absorb waste material generated by humans, under current management schemes and extraction technologies. Biocapacity is calculated by multiplying the physical area by the yield factor and the appropriate equivalence factor. It is expressed in global hectares (gha).
More about this variableThe built-up land footprint is calculated based on the area of land covered by human infrastructure: transportation, housing, and industrial structures. Built-up land may occupy what would previously have been cropland. Measured in global hectares (gha) per person.
More about this variableBuilt-up land biocapacity measures how much of the regenerative capacity is occupied by infrastructure (built-up land). Regenerative capacity is an aggregate measure of the amount of area available, weighted by the productivity of that area. It represents the ability of a biosphere to produce crops, livestock (pasture), timber products (forest), and seafood as well as the biosphere's ability to uptake CO2 in forests. The measure of built-up land biocapacity is divided by the population size.
More about this variableThe country’s built-up area (roads, factories, cities), divided by the population size. The measurement units are global hectares (gha) per person.
More about this variableThe carbon footprint measures CO2 emissions associated with fossil fuel use (burning fossil fuels and the embodied carbon in imported goods). The carbon footprint component is represented by the area of biologically productive land necessary for absorbing these carbon emissions. Currently, the carbon footprint is the largest portion of humanity's footprint. It is expressed in global hectares (gha) per person.
More about this variableThe biosphere’s ability to uptake CO2, divided by the population size.
More about this variableThe area needed to absorb all fossil fuel carbon emissions generated within the country, divided by the population size. The measurement units are global hectares (gha) per capita.
More about this variableCropland is the most bioproductive of all the land-use types and consists of areas used to produce food and fibre for human consumption, feed for livestock, oil crops, and rubber. The cropland footprint includes crop products allocated to livestock and aquaculture feed mixes, and those used for fibres and materials. Due to lack of globally consistent data sets, current cropland footprint calculations do not yet take into account the extent to which farming techniques or unsustainable agricultural practices may cause long-term degradation of soil.
More about this variableThe ability of a biosphere to produce crops (the total cropland area available, weighted by the productivity of this area), divided by the population size.
More about this variableThe area within a country necessary for supporting the harvest of primary products on the cropland. The indicator is divided by the population size and is measured in global hectares (gha) per capita.
More about this variableTotal ecological footprint of consumption divided by the population size. Measured in global hectares (gha) per person.
More about this variableTotal ecological footprint of production divided by the population size. The units are global hectares (gha) per capita.
More about this variableThe total ecological footprint of consumption is measured in global hectares (gha) and includes the area needed to produce the materials consumed and the area needed to absorb the carbon dioxide emissions. The consumption footprint of a nation is calculated as a nation's primary production footprint plus the Footprint of imports minus the footprint of exports. For example, if a country grows cotton for export, the ecological resources required are not included in that country's consumption footprint. Rather, they are included in the consumption Footprint of the country that imports the T-shirts. However, these ecological resources are included in the exporting country's primary production footprint.
More about this variableA nation's productive footprint is the sum of the Footprints for all of the resources harvested and all of the waste generated within the defined geographical region. This includes all the area within a country necessary for supporting the actual harvest of primary products (cropland, pasture land, forestland, and fishing grounds), the country’s built-up area (roads, factories, cities), and the area needed to absorb all fossil fuel carbon emissions generated within the country. If a country grows a crop for export, it is included in the ecological footprint of production of this country and the ecological footprint of consumption of the importing country. The indicator is measured in global hectares (gha).
More about this variableThe fishing grounds footprint is calculated based on estimates of the maximum sustainable catch for a variety of fish species. These sustainable catch estimates are converted into an equivalent mass of primary production based on the various species' trophic levels. This estimate of maximum harvestable primary production is then divided amongst the continental shelf areas of the world. Fish caught and used in aquaculture feed mixes are included. Measured in global hectares (gha) per person.
More about this variableThe ability of a biosphere to produce seafood (the amount of fishing grounds available, weighted by the productivity of fishing grounds). The measure is divided by the population size.
More about this variableThe area within a country necessary for supporting the harvest of primary products on fishing grounds. The indicator is divided by the population size and is measured in global hectares (gha) per capita.
More about this variableThe forest product footprint is calculated based on the amount of lumber, pulp, timber products, and fuel wood consumed by a population on a yearly basis. Measured in global hectares (gha) per person.
More about this variableThe ability of a biosphere to produce timber products (the total forest area available, weighted by the productivity of this area), divided by the population size.
More about this variableForest footprint represents the area necessary to regenerate all the timber harvested (hence, depending on harvest rates, this area can be bigger or smaller than the forest area that exists within the country). The indicator is divided by the population size and measured in global hectares (gha) per person.
More about this variableGrazing land is used to raise livestock for meat, dairy, hide, and wool products. The grazing land footprint is calculated by comparing the amount of livestock feed available in a country with the amount of feed required for all livestock in that year, with the remainder of feed demand assumed to come from grazing land. Measured in global hectares (gha) per person.
More about this variableThe ability of a biosphere to produce pasture lands (the total pasture area available, weighted by the productivity/yield of these pastures), divided by the population size.
More about this variableThe area within a country necessary for supporting the harvest of primary products on pastures. The indicator is divided by the population size and measured in global hectares (gha) per person.
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