China vs United States: CO₂ emissions by sector
China
430.34 million tonnes
in 2023
United States
514.17 million tonnes
in 2023
China rank
2nd
United States rank
1st
CO₂ emissions by sector over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 514.17 million tonnes against 430.34 million tonnes in China, a difference of 83.83 million tonnes.
That makes United States's figure about 1.2 times China's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was United States ahead.
China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 187 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 347.59 million tonnes | 573.95 million tonnes | 226.36 million tonnes | United States |
| 2000s | 341.93 million tonnes | 570.58 million tonnes | 228.65 million tonnes | United States |
| 2010s | 480.01 million tonnes | 520.91 million tonnes | 40.89 million tonnes | United States |
| 2020s | 440.24 million tonnes | 525.24 million tonnes | 85.00 million tonnes | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions by sector, China or United States?
- United States, at 514.17 million tonnes against 430.34 million tonnes in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions by sector between China and United States?
- 83.83 million tonnes, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do China and United States rank globally for co₂ emissions by sector?
- China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions by sector. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes.