What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between China and United States?

109.33 million tonnes, with China ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?

273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.

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.

China vs United States: emissions of air pollutants

China

131.31 million tonnes

in 2022

United States

21.97 million tonnes

in 2022

China rank

1st

United States rank

4th

emissions of air pollutants over time

China
United States

How they compare

China currently reports 131.31 million tonnes against 21.97 million tonnes in United States, a difference of 109.33 million tonnes.

That makes China's figure about 6.0 times United States's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 273 shared years of data; in 1750 it was China ahead.

China ranks 1st and United States ranks 4th of 220 countries.

Across the 28 decades both report, China averaged higher in 16 and United States in 12.

Head to head by decade

Decade	China	United States	Difference	Ahead
1750s	17.82 million tonnes	2.00 million tonnes	15.82 million tonnes	China
1760s	18.20 million tonnes	2.35 million tonnes	15.85 million tonnes	China
1770s	20.42 million tonnes	2.78 million tonnes	17.64 million tonnes	China
1780s	23.47 million tonnes	3.31 million tonnes	20.16 million tonnes	China
1790s	23.46 million tonnes	4.18 million tonnes	19.28 million tonnes	China
1800s	24.04 million tonnes	5.56 million tonnes	18.48 million tonnes	China
1810s	25.49 million tonnes	7.39 million tonnes	18.10 million tonnes	China
1820s	26.09 million tonnes	9.77 million tonnes	16.32 million tonnes	China
1830s	27.05 million tonnes	12.76 million tonnes	14.28 million tonnes	China
1840s	27.03 million tonnes	16.50 million tonnes	10.53 million tonnes	China
1850s	25.97 million tonnes	21.02 million tonnes	4.95 million tonnes	China
1860s	24.16 million tonnes	25.51 million tonnes	1.34 million tonnes	United States
1870s	23.78 million tonnes	28.48 million tonnes	4.70 million tonnes	United States
1880s	24.49 million tonnes	30.70 million tonnes	6.21 million tonnes	United States
1890s	25.49 million tonnes	33.64 million tonnes	8.15 million tonnes	United States
1900s	26.91 million tonnes	39.59 million tonnes	12.68 million tonnes	United States
1910s	29.40 million tonnes	50.20 million tonnes	20.80 million tonnes	United States
1920s	32.00 million tonnes	66.65 million tonnes	34.65 million tonnes	United States
1930s	33.96 million tonnes	63.70 million tonnes	29.74 million tonnes	United States
1940s	36.22 million tonnes	87.60 million tonnes	51.38 million tonnes	United States
1950s	48.69 million tonnes	112.57 million tonnes	63.87 million tonnes	United States
1960s	73.57 million tonnes	139.14 million tonnes	65.56 million tonnes	United States
1970s	111.45 million tonnes	167.12 million tonnes	55.66 million tonnes	United States
1980s	149.91 million tonnes	140.07 million tonnes	9.84 million tonnes	China
1990s	191.22 million tonnes	100.27 million tonnes	90.95 million tonnes	China
2000s	203.18 million tonnes	61.75 million tonnes	141.43 million tonnes	China
2010s	174.11 million tonnes	32.90 million tonnes	141.21 million tonnes	China
2020s	134.11 million tonnes	21.94 million tonnes	112.18 million tonnes	China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher emissions of air pollutants, China or United States?: China, at 131.31 million tonnes against 21.97 million tonnes in United States as of 2022.
What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between China and United States?: 109.33 million tonnes, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?: 273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.
How do China and United States rank globally for emissions of air pollutants?: China ranks 1st and United States ranks 4th 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.

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China vs United States: emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid, drawing on Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 October 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/compare/change-air-pollutant-emissions/china/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator: emissions of air pollutants
Unit: tonnes
Source: Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 220 places, 60,060 data points, 1750–2022
Last refreshed: 09 October 2026

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.