China vs India: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector
China
144.29 million tonnes
in 2023
India
69.32 million tonnes
in 2023
China rank
1st
India rank
2nd
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 144.29 million tonnes against 69.32 million tonnes in India, a difference of 74.97 million tonnes.
That makes China's figure about 2.1 times India's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 176 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 | 145.32 million tonnes | 36.95 million tonnes | 108.37 million tonnes | China |
| 2000s | 143.28 million tonnes | 50.11 million tonnes | 93.18 million tonnes | China |
| 2010s | 192.64 million tonnes | 56.38 million tonnes | 136.26 million tonnes | China |
| 2020s | 151.32 million tonnes | 62.95 million tonnes | 88.37 million tonnes | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher greenhouse gas emissions by sector, China or India?
- China, at 144.29 million tonnes against 69.32 million tonnes in India as of 2023.
- What is the difference in greenhouse gas emissions by sector between China and India?
- 74.97 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 greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Greenhouse gas emissions by sector. 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 of carbon dioxide-equivalents.