China vs India: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector
China
691.17 million tonnes
in 2023
India
808.71 million tonnes
in 2023
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 808.71 million tonnes against 691.17 million tonnes in China, a difference of 117.54 million tonnes.
That makes India's figure about 1.2 times China's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was India ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 193 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and India in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 650.58 million tonnes | 633.08 million tonnes | 17.50 million tonnes | China |
| 2000s | 686.87 million tonnes | 681.49 million tonnes | 5.38 million tonnes | China |
| 2010s | 689.72 million tonnes | 742.32 million tonnes | 52.60 million tonnes | India |
| 2020s | 684.85 million tonnes | 797.02 million tonnes | 112.17 million tonnes | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher greenhouse gas emissions by sector, China or India?
- India, at 808.71 million tonnes against 691.17 million tonnes in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in greenhouse gas emissions by sector between China and India?
- 117.54 million tonnes, with India 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 2nd and India ranks 1st of 193 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026) β 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.