Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions was 366,864 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
366,864 tonnes
Change on year
down 83.3%
World rank
56th
of 215 countries
All-time high
8.43 million tonnes
in 1998
All-time low
-8.38 million tonnes
in 2020
Years of data
78
1939–2024
Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Hong Kong, 1939–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Hong Kong recorded 366,864 tonnes for year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in 2024.
That represents a change of down 83.3% on the previous year and down 68.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Hong Kong peaked at 8.43 million tonnes in 1998 and was at its lowest, -8.38 million tonnes, in 2020.
Hong Kong ranks 56th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Hong Kong, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1948 | 7,269 tonnes | — |
| 1949 | 3,634 tonnes | -50.0% |
| 1950 | 1.29 million tonnes | +35389.8% |
| 1951 | 238,130 tonnes | -81.5% |
| 1952 | -21,954 tonnes | -109.2% |
| 1953 | 194,191 tonnes | -984.5% |
| 1954 | 69,468 tonnes | -64.2% |
| 1955 | 80,549 tonnes | +16.0% |
| 1956 | 241,824 tonnes | +200.2% |
| 1957 | 241,884 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 10,783 tonnes | -95.5% |
| 1959 | 329,819 tonnes | +2958.7% |
| 1960 | 249,122 tonnes | -24.5% |
| 1961 | 417,548 tonnes | +67.6% |
| 1962 | 311,321 tonnes | -25.4% |
| 1963 | 564,227 tonnes | +81.2% |
| 1964 | -25,619 tonnes | -104.5% |
| 1965 | 582,457 tonnes | -2373.5% |
| 1966 | 359,043 tonnes | -38.4% |
| 1967 | 890,500 tonnes | +148.0% |
| 1968 | 145,906 tonnes | -83.6% |
| 1969 | 1.55 million tonnes | +964.8% |
| 1970 | 640,992 tonnes | -58.7% |
| 1971 | 758,091 tonnes | +18.3% |
| 1972 | 124,994 tonnes | -83.5% |
| 1973 | 10,872 tonnes | -91.3% |
| 1974 | 1.38 million tonnes | +12600.4% |
| 1975 | 340,751 tonnes | -75.3% |
| 1976 | 1.48 million tonnes | +335.0% |
| 1977 | 1.71 million tonnes | +15.6% |
| 1978 | 1.51 million tonnes | -11.9% |
| 1979 | 123,551 tonnes | -91.8% |
| 1980 | 762,569 tonnes | +517.2% |
| 1981 | 2.02 million tonnes | +164.4% |
| 1982 | 1.01 million tonnes | -50.1% |
| 1983 | 1.29 million tonnes | +28.2% |
| 1984 | 1.31 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 656,618 tonnes | -50.0% |
| 1986 | 2.64 million tonnes | +302.7% |
| 1987 | 2.56 million tonnes | -3.2% |
| 1988 | 1.20 million tonnes | -53.2% |
| 1989 | 856,398 tonnes | -28.6% |
| 1990 | -2.99 million tonnes | -449.5% |
| 1991 | 1.32 million tonnes | -143.9% |
| 1992 | 4.46 million tonnes | +239.0% |
| 1993 | 1.86 million tonnes | -58.4% |
| 1994 | -3.70 million tonnes | -299.3% |
| 1995 | 191,320 tonnes | -105.2% |
| 1996 | -2.36 million tonnes | -1334.6% |
| 1997 | 1.59 million tonnes | -167.2% |
| 1998 | 8.43 million tonnes | +430.6% |
| 1999 | 3.62 million tonnes | -57.0% |
| 2000 | -2.78 million tonnes | -176.8% |
| 2001 | -2.48 million tonnes | -11.0% |
| 2002 | 1.71 million tonnes | -169.2% |
| 2003 | 3.73 million tonnes | +117.5% |
| 2004 | -1.58 million tonnes | -142.2% |
| 2005 | 2.18 million tonnes | -238.1% |
| 2006 | -1.42 million tonnes | -165.2% |
| 2007 | 1.66 million tonnes | -216.8% |
| 2008 | -778,188 tonnes | -146.9% |
| 2009 | -1.21 million tonnes | +55.6% |
| 2010 | -1.52 million tonnes | +25.5% |
| 2011 | 3.09 million tonnes | -303.1% |
| 2012 | -411,316 tonnes | -113.3% |
| 2013 | 1.57 million tonnes | -482.2% |
| 2014 | 1.18 million tonnes | -24.9% |
| 2015 | -3.09 million tonnes | -361.4% |
| 2016 | 962,324 tonnes | -131.2% |
| 2017 | -934,672 tonnes | -197.1% |
| 2018 | 165,852 tonnes | -117.7% |
| 2019 | -700,432 tonnes | -522.3% |
| 2020 | -8.38 million tonnes | +1096.9% |
| 2021 | 124,000 tonnes | -101.5% |
| 2022 | -2.87 million tonnes | -2417.1% |
| 2023 | 2.19 million tonnes | -176.3% |
| 2024 | 366,864 tonnes | -83.3% |
Hong Kong compared with similar countries
- Hong Kong's 366,864 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 13,739 tonnes, 26.7× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Hong Kong's 366,864 tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 35,881 tonnes, 10.2× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Hong Kong changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | +35389.8% | 3,634 tonnes | 1.29 million tonnes |
| 1974 | +12600.4% | 10,872 tonnes | 1.38 million tonnes |
| 1959 | +2958.7% | 10,783 tonnes | 329,819 tonnes |
| 1965 | +2373.5% | -25,619 tonnes | 582,457 tonnes |
| 2022 | -2417.1% | 124,000 tonnes | -2.87 million tonnes |
| 1996 | -1334.6% | 191,320 tonnes | -2.36 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 1 |
| 1940s | 5,452 tonnes | 3,634 tonnes | 7,269 tonnes | 2 |
| 1950s | 267,439 tonnes | -21,954 tonnes | 1.29 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 504,804 tonnes | -25,619 tonnes | 1.55 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 808,613 tonnes | 10,872 tonnes | 1.71 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.43 million tonnes | 656,618 tonnes | 2.64 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.24 million tonnes | -3.70 million tonnes | 8.43 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | -96,595 tonnes | -2.78 million tonnes | 3.73 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 31,354 tonnes | -3.09 million tonnes | 3.09 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.71 million tonnes | -8.38 million tonnes | 2.19 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
More climate change data for Hong Kong
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.42 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.441 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2868 °C (2026)
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.0% (2100)
- Population, total, annual growth rate -0.3349 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate -0.3349 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 1 units per person (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate -76.56 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Hong Kong?
- Year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Hong Kong was 366,864 tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest year-on-year change in co₂ emissions recorded in Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 8.43 million tonnes in 1998.
- What is the lowest year-on-year change in co₂ emissions recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was -8.38 million tonnes in 2020.
- How does Hong Kong rank for year-on-year change in co₂ emissions?
- Hong Kong ranks 56th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is year-on-year change in co₂ emissions rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Hong Kong data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 78 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual growth in total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in tonnes.