China vs United States: Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP

China
0.0152 tonnes per US$ of GDP
in 2024
United States
0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP
in 2024
China rank
64th
United States rank
66th

Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP over time

  • China
  • United States
00.050.10.150.2196019922024

How they compare

China currently reports 0.0152 tonnes per US$ of GDP against 0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP in United States, a difference of 0.0004 tonnes per US$ of GDP.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United States ahead.

China ranks 64th and United States ranks 66th of 202 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 4 and United States in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade China United States Difference Ahead
1960s 0.1218 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.186 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.0642 tonnes per US$ of GDP United States
1970s 0.1118 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.1086 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.0032 tonnes per US$ of GDP China
1980s 0.1193 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.0548 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.0645 tonnes per US$ of GDP China
1990s 0.0914 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.0364 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.055 tonnes per US$ of GDP China
2000s 0.0439 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.0264 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.0174 tonnes per US$ of GDP China
2010s 0.0174 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.0216 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.0043 tonnes per US$ of GDP United States
2020s 0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.0167 tonnes per US$ of GDP 0.002 tonnes per US$ of GDP United States

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp, China or United States?
China, at 0.0152 tonnes per US$ of GDP against 0.0148 tonnes per US$ of GDP in United States as of 2024.
What is the difference in cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp between China and United States?
0.0004 tonnes per US$ of GDP, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
How do China and United States rank globally for cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp?
China ranks 64th and United States ranks 66th of 202 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Statizoid (derived), published as Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs United States: Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/compare/cumulative-co2-emissions-per-unit-of-gdp/china/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP
Unit
tonnes per US$ of GDP
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
202 places, 11,089 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

Cumulative CO₂ emissions divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.