China vs United States: Cumulative CO₂ emissions, gaps filled
China
285.09 billion tonnes
in 2024
United States
434.87 billion tonnes
in 2024
China rank
2nd
United States rank
1st
Cumulative CO₂ emissions, gaps filled over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 434.87 billion tonnes against 285.09 billion tonnes in China, a difference of 149.78 billion tonnes.
That makes United States's figure about 1.5 times China's.
Across all 118 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 215 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 43.13 million tonnes | 18.28 billion tonnes | 18.24 billion tonnes | United States |
| 1910s | 205.81 million tonnes | 27.03 billion tonnes | 26.82 billion tonnes | United States |
| 1920s | 582.38 million tonnes | 43.23 billion tonnes | 42.65 billion tonnes | United States |
| 1930s | 1.11 billion tonnes | 59.81 billion tonnes | 58.70 billion tonnes | United States |
| 1940s | 1.92 billion tonnes | 79.03 billion tonnes | 77.11 billion tonnes | United States |
| 1950s | 3.09 billion tonnes | 104.08 billion tonnes | 100.98 billion tonnes | United States |
| 1960s | 7.75 billion tonnes | 133.89 billion tonnes | 126.14 billion tonnes | United States |
| 1970s | 15.72 billion tonnes | 175.15 billion tonnes | 159.43 billion tonnes | United States |
| 1980s | 31.20 billion tonnes | 221.35 billion tonnes | 190.14 billion tonnes | United States |
| 1990s | 56.99 billion tonnes | 271.51 billion tonnes | 214.52 billion tonnes | United States |
| 2000s | 98.72 billion tonnes | 329.65 billion tonnes | 230.93 billion tonnes | United States |
| 2010s | 181.16 billion tonnes | 386.33 billion tonnes | 205.18 billion tonnes | United States |
| 2020s | 261.01 billion tonnes | 424.97 billion tonnes | 163.96 billion tonnes | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cumulative co₂ emissions, gaps filled, China or United States?
- United States, at 434.87 billion tonnes against 285.09 billion tonnes in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in cumulative co₂ emissions, gaps filled between China and United States?
- 149.78 billion tonnes, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 118 years are reported by both, from 1907 to 2024.
- How do China and United States rank globally for cumulative co₂ emissions, gaps filled?
- China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Statizoid (derived), published as Cumulative CO₂ emissions, gaps filled. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Cumulative CO₂ emissions with 84 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.