China vs India: CO₂ emissions embedded in trade
China
-1.31 billion tonnes
in 2023
India
-519.54 million tonnes
in 2023
China rank
120th
India rank
119th
CO₂ emissions embedded in trade over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports -519.54 million tonnes against -1.31 billion tonnes in China, a difference of 795.44 million tonnes.
Across all 34 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
China ranks 120th and India ranks 119th of 120 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -254.71 million tonnes | -28.08 million tonnes | 226.63 million tonnes | India |
| 2000s | -1.00 billion tonnes | -94.57 million tonnes | 910.14 million tonnes | India |
| 2010s | -1.18 billion tonnes | -272.33 million tonnes | 912.16 million tonnes | India |
| 2020s | -1.22 billion tonnes | -443.01 million tonnes | 780.43 million tonnes | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions embedded in trade, China or India?
- India, at -519.54 million tonnes against -1.31 billion tonnes in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions embedded in trade between China and India?
- 795.44 million tonnes, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do China and India rank globally for co₂ emissions embedded in trade?
- China ranks 120th and India ranks 119th of 120 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions embedded in trade. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual net carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions embedded in trade, measured in tonnes.