China vs Iran: Per capita CO₂ emissions relative to the global average
China
8.66 tonnes per person
in 2024
Iran
8.66 tonnes per person
in 2024
China rank
30th
Iran rank
31st
Per capita CO₂ emissions relative to the global average over time
- China
- Iran
How they compare
China currently reports 8.66 tonnes per person against 8.66 tonnes per person in Iran, a difference of 0 tonnes per person.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 114 shared years of data; in 1911 it was China ahead.
China ranks 30th and Iran ranks 31st of 213 countries.
Iran has averaged higher in every one of the 12 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Iran | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0.0634 tonnes per person | 0.1866 tonnes per person | 0.1231 tonnes per person | Iran |
| 1920s | 0.0942 tonnes per person | 1.17 tonnes per person | 1.07 tonnes per person | Iran |
| 1930s | 0.1256 tonnes per person | 1.75 tonnes per person | 1.63 tonnes per person | Iran |
| 1940s | 0.1494 tonnes per person | 2.59 tonnes per person | 2.44 tonnes per person | Iran |
| 1950s | 0.4049 tonnes per person | 0.7108 tonnes per person | 0.3059 tonnes per person | Iran |
| 1960s | 0.7531 tonnes per person | 2.19 tonnes per person | 1.43 tonnes per person | Iran |
| 1970s | 1.26 tonnes per person | 4.02 tonnes per person | 2.76 tonnes per person | Iran |
| 1980s | 1.82 tonnes per person | 3.09 tonnes per person | 1.27 tonnes per person | Iran |
| 1990s | 2.56 tonnes per person | 4.27 tonnes per person | 1.71 tonnes per person | Iran |
| 2000s | 4.29 tonnes per person | 6.37 tonnes per person | 2.08 tonnes per person | Iran |
| 2010s | 7.08 tonnes per person | 7.74 tonnes per person | 0.6569 tonnes per person | Iran |
| 2020s | 8.2 tonnes per person | 8.65 tonnes per person | 0.4538 tonnes per person | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher per capita co₂ emissions relative to the global average, China or Iran?
- China, at 8.66 tonnes per person against 8.66 tonnes per person in Iran as of 2024.
- What is the difference in per capita co₂ emissions relative to the global average between China and Iran?
- 0 tonnes per person, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Iran?
- 114 years are reported by both, from 1911 to 2024.
- How do China and Iran rank globally for per capita co₂ emissions relative to the global average?
- China ranks 30th and Iran ranks 31st of 213 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Per capita CO₂ emissions relative to the global average. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes. This includes emissions from transport, electricity generation, and heating, but not land-use change.