India vs United States: emissions of air pollutants
India
46.97 million tonnes
in 2022
United States
21.97 million tonnes
in 2022
India rank
2nd
United States rank
4th
emissions of air pollutants over time
- India
- United States
How they compare
India currently reports 46.97 million tonnes against 21.97 million tonnes in United States, a difference of 25.00 million tonnes.
That makes India's figure about 2.1 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 273 shared years of data; in 1750 it was India ahead.
India ranks 2nd and United States ranks 4th of 220 countries.
Across the 28 decades both report, India averaged higher in 9 and United States in 19.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 8.43 million tonnes | 2.00 million tonnes | 6.43 million tonnes | India |
| 1760s | 8.58 million tonnes | 2.35 million tonnes | 6.23 million tonnes | India |
| 1770s | 8.73 million tonnes | 2.78 million tonnes | 5.95 million tonnes | India |
| 1780s | 8.88 million tonnes | 3.31 million tonnes | 5.56 million tonnes | India |
| 1790s | 9.03 million tonnes | 4.18 million tonnes | 4.85 million tonnes | India |
| 1800s | 9.17 million tonnes | 5.56 million tonnes | 3.61 million tonnes | India |
| 1810s | 9.32 million tonnes | 7.39 million tonnes | 1.93 million tonnes | India |
| 1820s | 9.50 million tonnes | 9.77 million tonnes | 271,631 tonnes | United States |
| 1830s | 9.80 million tonnes | 12.76 million tonnes | 2.96 million tonnes | United States |
| 1840s | 10.21 million tonnes | 16.50 million tonnes | 6.29 million tonnes | United States |
| 1850s | 10.72 million tonnes | 21.02 million tonnes | 10.30 million tonnes | United States |
| 1860s | 11.35 million tonnes | 25.51 million tonnes | 14.16 million tonnes | United States |
| 1870s | 12.35 million tonnes | 28.48 million tonnes | 16.14 million tonnes | United States |
| 1880s | 13.05 million tonnes | 30.70 million tonnes | 17.65 million tonnes | United States |
| 1890s | 14.06 million tonnes | 33.64 million tonnes | 19.58 million tonnes | United States |
| 1900s | 15.35 million tonnes | 39.59 million tonnes | 24.24 million tonnes | United States |
| 1910s | 16.48 million tonnes | 50.20 million tonnes | 33.73 million tonnes | United States |
| 1920s | 16.24 million tonnes | 66.65 million tonnes | 50.41 million tonnes | United States |
| 1930s | 16.39 million tonnes | 63.70 million tonnes | 47.30 million tonnes | United States |
| 1940s | 16.46 million tonnes | 87.60 million tonnes | 71.15 million tonnes | United States |
| 1950s | 16.25 million tonnes | 112.57 million tonnes | 96.32 million tonnes | United States |
| 1960s | 20.29 million tonnes | 139.14 million tonnes | 118.85 million tonnes | United States |
| 1970s | 24.30 million tonnes | 167.12 million tonnes | 142.82 million tonnes | United States |
| 1980s | 30.92 million tonnes | 140.07 million tonnes | 109.15 million tonnes | United States |
| 1990s | 38.18 million tonnes | 100.27 million tonnes | 62.09 million tonnes | United States |
| 2000s | 42.35 million tonnes | 61.75 million tonnes | 19.40 million tonnes | United States |
| 2010s | 48.59 million tonnes | 32.90 million tonnes | 15.69 million tonnes | India |
| 2020s | 46.74 million tonnes | 21.94 million tonnes | 24.81 million tonnes | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher emissions of air pollutants, India or United States?
- India, at 46.97 million tonnes against 21.97 million tonnes in United States as of 2022.
- What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between India and United States?
- 25.00 million tonnes, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and United States?
- 273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.
- How do India and United States rank globally for emissions of air pollutants?
- India ranks 2nd 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.
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.