China vs India: CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry
China
1.71 billion tonnes
in 2024
India
747.33 million tonnes
in 2024
China rank
2nd
India rank
3rd
CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 1.71 billion tonnes against 747.33 million tonnes in India, a difference of 958.06 million tonnes.
That makes China's figure about 2.3 times India's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 118 shared years of data; in 1907 it was India ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 3rd of 215 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, China averaged higher in 7 and India in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 tonnes | 2.83 million tonnes | 2.83 million tonnes | India |
| 1910s | 0 tonnes | 3.13 million tonnes | 3.13 million tonnes | India |
| 1920s | 4,030 tonnes | 3.04 million tonnes | 3.04 million tonnes | India |
| 1930s | 465,699 tonnes | 815,247 tonnes | 349,548 tonnes | India |
| 1940s | 940,541 tonnes | 990,034 tonnes | 49,493 tonnes | India |
| 1950s | 6.21 million tonnes | 11.76 million tonnes | 5.56 million tonnes | India |
| 1960s | 35.56 million tonnes | 30.77 million tonnes | 4.80 million tonnes | China |
| 1970s | 195.55 million tonnes | 63.78 million tonnes | 131.77 million tonnes | China |
| 1980s | 292.94 million tonnes | 112.32 million tonnes | 180.62 million tonnes | China |
| 1990s | 461.72 million tonnes | 216.65 million tonnes | 245.07 million tonnes | China |
| 2000s | 815.58 million tonnes | 360.15 million tonnes | 455.43 million tonnes | China |
| 2010s | 1.31 billion tonnes | 554.97 million tonnes | 751.11 million tonnes | China |
| 2020s | 1.61 billion tonnes | 676.11 million tonnes | 931.66 million tonnes | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions by fuel or industry, China or India?
- China, at 1.71 billion tonnes against 747.33 million tonnes in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions by fuel or industry between China and India?
- 958.06 million tonnes, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 118 years are reported by both, from 1907 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for co₂ emissions by fuel or industry?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 3rd of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from oil, measured in tonnes.