China vs United States: CO₂ emissions from domestic air travel
China
78.64 million tonnes
in 2024
United States
132.13 million tonnes
in 2024
China rank
3rd
United States rank
2nd
CO₂ emissions from domestic air travel over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 132.13 million tonnes against 78.64 million tonnes in China, a difference of 53.49 million tonnes.
That makes United States's figure about 1.7 times China's.
Across all 12 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
China ranks 3rd and United States ranks 2nd of 143 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 56.43 million tonnes | 110.07 million tonnes | 53.64 million tonnes | United States |
| 2020s | 61.21 million tonnes | 113.85 million tonnes | 52.64 million tonnes | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions from domestic air travel, China or United States?
- United States, at 132.13 million tonnes against 78.64 million tonnes in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions from domestic air travel between China and United States?
- 53.49 million tonnes, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 12 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2024.
- How do China and United States rank globally for co₂ emissions from domestic air travel?
- China ranks 3rd and United States ranks 2nd of 143 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions from domestic air travel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Domestic aviation represents flights which depart and arrive within the same country. CO₂ emissions from commercial passenger flights only.