China vs India: CO₂ emissions from transport
China
1.05 billion tonnes
in 2023
India
353.86 million tonnes
in 2023
China rank
2nd
India rank
3rd
CO₂ emissions from transport over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 1.05 billion tonnes against 353.86 million tonnes in India, a difference of 694.52 million tonnes.
That makes China's figure about 3.0 times India's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 3rd of 191 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 128.89 million tonnes | 76.92 million tonnes | 51.97 million tonnes | China |
| 2000s | 378.83 million tonnes | 121.63 million tonnes | 257.20 million tonnes | China |
| 2010s | 791.62 million tonnes | 253.55 million tonnes | 538.07 million tonnes | China |
| 2020s | 1.04 billion tonnes | 317.64 million tonnes | 726.45 million tonnes | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions from transport, China or India?
- China, at 1.05 billion tonnes against 353.86 million tonnes in India as of 2023.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions from transport between China and India?
- 694.52 million tonnes, with China 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 from transport?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 3rd of 191 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions from transport. 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.