China vs India: emissions of air pollutants
China
131.31 million tonnes
in 2022
India
46.97 million tonnes
in 2022
China rank
1st
India rank
2nd
emissions of air pollutants over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 131.31 million tonnes against 46.97 million tonnes in India, a difference of 84.34 million tonnes.
That makes China's figure about 2.8 times India's.
Across all 273 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 220 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 28 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 17.82 million tonnes | 8.43 million tonnes | 9.39 million tonnes | China |
| 1760s | 18.20 million tonnes | 8.58 million tonnes | 9.62 million tonnes | China |
| 1770s | 20.42 million tonnes | 8.73 million tonnes | 11.70 million tonnes | China |
| 1780s | 23.47 million tonnes | 8.88 million tonnes | 14.59 million tonnes | China |
| 1790s | 23.46 million tonnes | 9.03 million tonnes | 14.43 million tonnes | China |
| 1800s | 24.04 million tonnes | 9.17 million tonnes | 14.87 million tonnes | China |
| 1810s | 25.49 million tonnes | 9.32 million tonnes | 16.17 million tonnes | China |
| 1820s | 26.09 million tonnes | 9.50 million tonnes | 16.59 million tonnes | China |
| 1830s | 27.05 million tonnes | 9.80 million tonnes | 17.24 million tonnes | China |
| 1840s | 27.03 million tonnes | 10.21 million tonnes | 16.82 million tonnes | China |
| 1850s | 25.97 million tonnes | 10.72 million tonnes | 15.25 million tonnes | China |
| 1860s | 24.16 million tonnes | 11.35 million tonnes | 12.81 million tonnes | China |
| 1870s | 23.78 million tonnes | 12.35 million tonnes | 11.44 million tonnes | China |
| 1880s | 24.49 million tonnes | 13.05 million tonnes | 11.44 million tonnes | China |
| 1890s | 25.49 million tonnes | 14.06 million tonnes | 11.42 million tonnes | China |
| 1900s | 26.91 million tonnes | 15.35 million tonnes | 11.56 million tonnes | China |
| 1910s | 29.40 million tonnes | 16.48 million tonnes | 12.92 million tonnes | China |
| 1920s | 32.00 million tonnes | 16.24 million tonnes | 15.76 million tonnes | China |
| 1930s | 33.96 million tonnes | 16.39 million tonnes | 17.56 million tonnes | China |
| 1940s | 36.22 million tonnes | 16.46 million tonnes | 19.76 million tonnes | China |
| 1950s | 48.69 million tonnes | 16.25 million tonnes | 32.45 million tonnes | China |
| 1960s | 73.57 million tonnes | 20.29 million tonnes | 53.29 million tonnes | China |
| 1970s | 111.45 million tonnes | 24.30 million tonnes | 87.16 million tonnes | China |
| 1980s | 149.91 million tonnes | 30.92 million tonnes | 118.99 million tonnes | China |
| 1990s | 191.22 million tonnes | 38.18 million tonnes | 153.04 million tonnes | China |
| 2000s | 203.18 million tonnes | 42.35 million tonnes | 160.84 million tonnes | China |
| 2010s | 174.11 million tonnes | 48.59 million tonnes | 125.52 million tonnes | China |
| 2020s | 134.11 million tonnes | 46.74 million tonnes | 87.37 million tonnes | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher emissions of air pollutants, China or India?
- China, at 131.31 million tonnes against 46.97 million tonnes in India as of 2022.
- What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between China and India?
- 84.34 million tonnes, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.
- How do China and India rank globally for emissions of air pollutants?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a pollutant produced from the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels such as oil, gas, wood, and coal. CO is a harmful gas that contributes to both outdoor and indoor air pollution.