Brazil vs China: Share of global methane emissions
Brazil
6.3%
in 2024
China
16.5%
in 2024
Brazil rank
4th
China rank
1st
Share of global methane emissions over time
- Brazil
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 16.5% against 6.3% in Brazil, a difference of 10.2%.
That makes China's figure about 2.6 times Brazil's.
Across all 175 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
Brazil ranks 4th and China ranks 1st of 201 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 18 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 1.2% | 19.1% | 17.8% | China |
| 1860s | 1.3% | 16.6% | 15.3% | China |
| 1870s | 1.4% | 15.2% | 13.8% | China |
| 1880s | 1.5% | 14.2% | 12.7% | China |
| 1890s | 1.6% | 13.3% | 11.7% | China |
| 1900s | 1.8% | 12.5% | 10.7% | China |
| 1910s | 2.2% | 12.2% | 10.0% | China |
| 1920s | 2.7% | 12.1% | 9.4% | China |
| 1930s | 2.8% | 11.3% | 8.5% | China |
| 1940s | 2.8% | 10.2% | 7.4% | China |
| 1950s | 2.9% | 9.5% | 6.6% | China |
| 1960s | 3.1% | 9.4% | 6.3% | China |
| 1970s | 3.7% | 10.1% | 6.4% | China |
| 1980s | 4.9% | 11.1% | 6.2% | China |
| 1990s | 5.4% | 12.3% | 6.9% | China |
| 2000s | 6.2% | 13.6% | 7.4% | China |
| 2010s | 6.1% | 15.1% | 9.0% | China |
| 2020s | 6.2% | 16.0% | 9.8% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of global methane emissions, Brazil or China?
- China, at 16.5% against 6.3% in Brazil as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of global methane emissions between Brazil and China?
- 10.2%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and China?
- 175 years are reported by both, from 1850 to 2024.
- How do Brazil and China rank globally for share of global methane emissions?
- Brazil ranks 4th and China ranks 1st of 201 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Jones et al. (2025) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of global methane emissions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured as a percentage of the world's methane emissions.