Annual carbon dioxide emissions in China
China: Annual carbon dioxide emissions was 45.78 million in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in China, 2003–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual carbon dioxide emissions in China is 45.78 million, measured in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of down 31.7% on the previous year and down 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual carbon dioxide emissions in China peaked at 114.99 million in 2003 and was at its lowest, 45.78 million, in 2026.
That places China 22nd out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 114.99 million | — |
| 2004 | 82.40 million | -28.3% |
| 2005 | 61.96 million | -24.8% |
| 2006 | 67.86 million | +9.5% |
| 2007 | 68.26 million | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 90.40 million | +32.4% |
| 2009 | 75.35 million | -16.6% |
| 2010 | 78.63 million | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 63.54 million | -19.2% |
| 2012 | 60.96 million | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 67.57 million | +10.8% |
| 2014 | 75.48 million | +11.7% |
| 2015 | 68.09 million | -9.8% |
| 2016 | 52.97 million | -22.2% |
| 2017 | 61.24 million | +15.6% |
| 2018 | 55.78 million | -8.9% |
| 2019 | 60.84 million | +9.1% |
| 2020 | 62.50 million | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 51.98 million | -16.8% |
| 2022 | 61.03 million | +17.4% |
| 2023 | 63.86 million | +4.6% |
| 2024 | 59.89 million | -6.2% |
| 2025 | 67.01 million | +11.9% |
| 2026 | 45.78 million | -31.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 45.78 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.31 million, 34.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 45.78 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 162,516, 281.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 80.17 million | 61.96 million | 114.99 million | 7 |
| 2010s | 64.51 million | 52.97 million | 78.63 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 58.87 million | 45.78 million | 67.01 million | 7 |
Countries ranked near China
More climate change data for China
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 31.25 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 604,831 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 191,478 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 413,353 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 722.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 342,069 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 200,605 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 141,464 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 757 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual carbon dioxide emissions in China?
- Annual carbon dioxide emissions in China was 45.78 million in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual carbon dioxide emissions recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 114.99 million in 2003.
- What is the lowest annual carbon dioxide emissions recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.78 million in 2026.
- How does China rank for annual carbon dioxide emissions?
- China ranks 22nd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual carbon dioxide emissions rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual carbon dioxide emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).