China vs India: Methane emissions from agriculture
China
396.71 million tonnes
in 2023
India
588.17 million tonnes
in 2023
China rank
3rd
India rank
1st
Methane emissions from agriculture over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 588.17 million tonnes against 396.71 million tonnes in China, a difference of 191.46 million tonnes.
That makes India's figure about 1.5 times China's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
China ranks 3rd and India ranks 1st of 193 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 397.38 million tonnes | 500.40 million tonnes | 103.02 million tonnes | India |
| 2000s | 396.91 million tonnes | 524.37 million tonnes | 127.46 million tonnes | India |
| 2010s | 379.32 million tonnes | 550.75 million tonnes | 171.43 million tonnes | India |
| 2020s | 391.44 million tonnes | 580.41 million tonnes | 188.97 million tonnes | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher methane emissions from agriculture, China or India?
- India, at 588.17 million tonnes against 396.71 million tonnes in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in methane emissions from agriculture between China and India?
- 191.46 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 methane emissions from agriculture?
- China ranks 3rd and India ranks 1st of 193 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Methane emissions from agriculture. 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.