China vs United States of America: CO2 emissions, Metric ton of CO₂

China
120.29
in 2018
United States of America
60.77
in 2018
China rank
1st
United States of America rank
2nd

CO2 emissions, Metric ton of CO₂ over time

  • China
  • United States of America
050100150199520062018

How they compare

China currently reports 120.29 against 60.77 in United States of America, a difference of 59.52.

That makes China's figure about 2.0 times United States of America's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 24 shared years of data; in 1995 it was China ahead.

China ranks 1st and United States of America ranks 2nd of 66 countries.

China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China United States of America Difference Ahead
1990s 100.65 61.51 39.14 China
2000s 80.03 68.86 11.17 China
2010s 121.58 61.3 60.28 China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher co2 emissions, metric ton of co₂, China or United States of America?
China, at 120.29 against 60.77 in United States of America as of 2018.
What is the difference in co2 emissions, metric ton of co₂ between China and United States of America?
59.52, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States of America?
24 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2018.
How do China and United States of America rank globally for co2 emissions, metric ton of co₂?
China ranks 1st and United States of America ranks 2nd of 66 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Monetary Fund, published as CO2 emissions, Metric ton of CO₂ (Agriculture, forestry and fishing). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs United States of America: CO2 emissions, Metric ton of CO₂. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/compare/co2-emissions-metric-ton-of-co2-agriculture-forestry-and-fishing/china/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
CO2 emissions, Metric ton of CO₂ (Agriculture, forestry and fishing)
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
66 places, 1,584 data points, 1995–2018
Last refreshed

This dataset provides annual estimates of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for 66 countries across 45 industries from 1995 to 2018. It details both aggregate emissions and emissions intensity, specifically direct and indirect CO2 emissions per unit of output. The data is structured to allow for analysis of emission trends by country, industry, and a combination of both. CO2 emissions from fuel consumption are in millions of metric tons of CO2. CO2 emissions intensities are in metric tons of CO2 emissions per $1 million USD of output. CO2 emissions multipliers are in metric tons of CO2 emissions per $1 million USD of output.