China vs United Kingdom: Cumulative CO₂ emissions
China
285.09 billion tonnes
in 2024
United Kingdom
80.08 billion tonnes
in 2024
China rank
2nd
United Kingdom rank
5th
Cumulative CO₂ emissions over time
- China
- United Kingdom
How they compare
China currently reports 285.09 billion tonnes against 80.08 billion tonnes in United Kingdom, a difference of 205.01 billion tonnes.
That makes China's figure about 3.6 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 118 shared years of data; in 1907 it was United Kingdom ahead.
China ranks 2nd and United Kingdom ranks 5th of 215 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and United Kingdom in 10.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 43.13 million tonnes | 20.28 billion tonnes | 20.23 billion tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1910s | 205.81 million tonnes | 23.39 billion tonnes | 23.18 billion tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1920s | 582.38 million tonnes | 27.92 billion tonnes | 27.34 billion tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1930s | 1.11 billion tonnes | 32.34 billion tonnes | 31.23 billion tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1940s | 1.92 billion tonnes | 37.11 billion tonnes | 35.20 billion tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1950s | 3.09 billion tonnes | 42.28 billion tonnes | 39.19 billion tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 7.75 billion tonnes | 48.09 billion tonnes | 40.34 billion tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 15.72 billion tonnes | 54.34 billion tonnes | 38.62 billion tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 31.20 billion tonnes | 60.20 billion tonnes | 29.00 billion tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 56.99 billion tonnes | 65.98 billion tonnes | 8.99 billion tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 98.72 billion tonnes | 71.67 billion tonnes | 27.05 billion tonnes | China |
| 2010s | 181.16 billion tonnes | 76.66 billion tonnes | 104.50 billion tonnes | China |
| 2020s | 261.01 billion tonnes | 79.45 billion tonnes | 181.56 billion tonnes | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cumulative co₂ emissions, China or United Kingdom?
- China, at 285.09 billion tonnes against 80.08 billion tonnes in United Kingdom as of 2024.
- What is the difference in cumulative co₂ emissions between China and United Kingdom?
- 205.01 billion tonnes, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United Kingdom?
- 118 years are reported by both, from 1907 to 2024.
- How do China and United Kingdom rank globally for cumulative co₂ emissions?
- China ranks 2nd and United Kingdom ranks 5th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Cumulative CO₂ emissions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, since the first year of available data, measured in tonnes.