Share of CO₂ emissions covered by a carbon price in China
China: Share of CO₂ emissions covered by a carbon price was 46.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Share of CO₂ emissions covered by a carbon price in China, 1989–2025
Source: Dolphin and Merkle (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of co₂ emissions covered by a carbon price in China stood at 46.7%. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.
That represents a change of up 581.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of co₂ emissions covered by a carbon price in China peaked at 46.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1989.
China ranks 33rd of 200 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of CO₂ emissions covered by a carbon price in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 0.0% | — |
| 1990 | 0.0% | — |
| 1991 | 0.0% | — |
| 1992 | 0.0% | — |
| 1993 | 0.0% | — |
| 1994 | 0.0% | — |
| 1995 | 0.0% | — |
| 1996 | 0.0% | — |
| 1997 | 0.0% | — |
| 1998 | 0.0% | — |
| 1999 | 0.0% | — |
| 2000 | 0.0% | — |
| 2001 | 0.0% | — |
| 2002 | 0.0% | — |
| 2003 | 0.0% | — |
| 2004 | 0.0% | — |
| 2005 | 0.0% | — |
| 2006 | 0.0% | — |
| 2007 | 0.0% | — |
| 2008 | 0.0% | — |
| 2009 | 0.0% | — |
| 2010 | 0.0% | — |
| 2011 | 0.0% | — |
| 2012 | 0.0% | — |
| 2013 | 5.3% | — |
| 2014 | 7.3% | +36.6% |
| 2015 | 6.8% | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 8.3% | +21.4% |
| 2017 | 8.6% | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 8.9% | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 9.0% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 9.0% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 45.5% | +407.2% |
| 2022 | 46.7% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 46.7% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 46.7% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 46.7% | +0.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of CO₂ emissions covered by a carbon price in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +407.2% | 9.0% | 45.5% |
| 2014 | +36.6% | 5.3% | 7.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.4% | 0.0% | 9.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.2% | 9.0% | 46.7% | 6 |
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 share of co₂ emissions covered by a carbon price in China?
- Share of co₂ emissions covered by a carbon price in China was 46.7% in 2025, according to Dolphin and Merkle (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of co₂ emissions covered by a carbon price recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 46.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest share of co₂ emissions covered by a carbon price recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1989.
- How does China rank for share of co₂ emissions covered by a carbon price?
- China ranks 33rd out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of co₂ emissions covered by a carbon price rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 581.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Dolphin and Merkle (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of CO₂ emissions covered by a carbon price. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon dioxide emissions are included in this figure if they are covered by a carbon tax or trading system.