China vs Germany: CO₂ emissions from international aviation
China
27.20 million tonnes
in 2024
Germany
20.77 million tonnes
in 2024
China rank
3rd
Germany rank
5th
CO₂ emissions from international aviation over time
- China
- Germany
How they compare
China currently reports 27.20 million tonnes against 20.77 million tonnes in Germany, a difference of 6.43 million tonnes.
That makes China's figure about 1.3 times Germany's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 12 shared years of data; in 2013 it was Germany ahead.
China ranks 3rd and Germany ranks 5th of 196 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Germany | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 23.63 million tonnes | 22.86 million tonnes | 767,200 tonnes | China |
| 2020s | 15.93 million tonnes | 15.36 million tonnes | 572,602 tonnes | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions from international aviation, China or Germany?
- China, at 27.20 million tonnes against 20.77 million tonnes in Germany as of 2024.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions from international aviation between China and Germany?
- 6.43 million tonnes, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Germany?
- 12 years are reported by both, from 2013 to 2024.
- How do China and Germany rank globally for co₂ emissions from international aviation?
- China ranks 3rd and Germany ranks 5th of 196 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions from international aviation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
International aviation emissions are assigned to the country of departure. CO₂ emissions from commercial passenger flights only.