Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in China
China: Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre was 1,309 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1,309 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
29th
of 204 countries
All-time high
1,309 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2024
All-time low
48.66 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1963
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in China, 1961–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2024, carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in China stood at 1,309 tonnes per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 23.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in China peaked at 1,309 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024 and was at its lowest, 48.66 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1963.
China ranks 29th of 204 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 60.78 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 48.96 tonnes per square kilometre | -19.5% |
| 1963 | 48.66 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 49.07 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 53.29 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.6% |
| 1966 | 58.53 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.8% |
| 1967 | 49.02 tonnes per square kilometre | -16.2% |
| 1968 | 52.78 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 1969 | 64.73 tonnes per square kilometre | +22.6% |
| 1970 | 86.06 tonnes per square kilometre | +33.0% |
| 1971 | 96.85 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.5% |
| 1972 | 103.17 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 1973 | 107.4 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1974 | 109.5 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 126.03 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.1% |
| 1976 | 130.62 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1977 | 142.81 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.3% |
| 1978 | 158.98 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.3% |
| 1979 | 162.48 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 159.17 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 1981 | 157.25 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 171.09 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.8% |
| 1983 | 180.41 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1984 | 196.44 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.9% |
| 1985 | 212.73 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.3% |
| 1986 | 224.05 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1987 | 240.37 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.3% |
| 1988 | 258.24 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 1989 | 262.26 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 264.54 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 278.98 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1992 | 290.93 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1993 | 310.42 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1994 | 329.55 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.2% |
| 1995 | 356.96 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.3% |
| 1996 | 372.73 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1997 | 374.12 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 357.4 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.5% |
| 1999 | 378.13 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 2000 | 388.13 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 396.68 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 436.52 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.0% |
| 2003 | 515.03 tonnes per square kilometre | +18.0% |
| 2004 | 555.05 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.8% |
| 2005 | 626.53 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.9% |
| 2006 | 690.89 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.3% |
| 2007 | 742.92 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.5% |
| 2008 | 798.07 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 2009 | 839.51 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 2010 | 917.11 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.2% |
| 2011 | 1,014 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 2012 | 1,040 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 1,059 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 1,063 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 1,050 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 1,038 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 1,065 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 1,102 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 1,141 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 1,161 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 1,202 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 1,248 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2023 | 1,297 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 2024 | 1,309 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1,309 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 247.93 tonnes per square kilometre, 5.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 1,309 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 356.9 tonnes per square kilometre, 3.7× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 53.98 tonnes per square kilometre | 48.66 tonnes per square kilometre | 64.73 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 122.39 tonnes per square kilometre | 86.06 tonnes per square kilometre | 162.48 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 206.2 tonnes per square kilometre | 157.25 tonnes per square kilometre | 262.26 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 331.38 tonnes per square kilometre | 264.54 tonnes per square kilometre | 378.13 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 598.93 tonnes per square kilometre | 388.13 tonnes per square kilometre | 839.51 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,049 tonnes per square kilometre | 917.11 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,141 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,243 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,161 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,309 tonnes per square kilometre | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 26 Lebanon 1,530 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 27 Antigua and Barbuda 1,511 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 28 Seychelles 1,428 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 30 United Kingdom 1,293 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 31 British Virgin Islands 1,275 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 32 Vietnam 1,183 tonnes per square kilometre compare
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 carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in China?
- Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in China was 1,309 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1,309 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024.
- What is the lowest carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.66 tonnes per square kilometre in 1963.
- How does China rank for carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre?
- China ranks 29th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Carbon dioxide emissions by income level Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.