China vs Saudi Arabia: Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring
China
4.01 million tonnes
in 2024
Saudi Arabia
4.62 million tonnes
in 2024
China rank
15th
Saudi Arabia rank
14th
Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring over time
- China
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 4.62 million tonnes against 4.01 million tonnes in China, a difference of 608,950 tonnes.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.2 times China's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1971 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
China ranks 15th and Saudi Arabia ranks 14th of 215 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Saudi Arabia in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.83 million tonnes | 62.93 million tonnes | 61.09 million tonnes | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 2.82 million tonnes | 40.73 million tonnes | 37.90 million tonnes | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 4.51 million tonnes | 6.72 million tonnes | 2.22 million tonnes | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 4.97 million tonnes | 7.33 million tonnes | 2.36 million tonnes | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 3.63 million tonnes | 4.38 million tonnes | 745,335 tonnes | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 4.63 million tonnes | 4.21 million tonnes | 424,752 tonnes | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual co₂ emissions from flaring, China or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 4.62 million tonnes against 4.01 million tonnes in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in annual co₂ emissions from flaring between China and Saudi Arabia?
- 608,950 tonnes, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Saudi Arabia?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2024.
- How do China and Saudi Arabia rank globally for annual co₂ emissions from flaring?
- China ranks 15th and Saudi Arabia ranks 14th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from flaring, measured in tonnes.