emissions of air pollutants in China
China: emissions of air pollutants was 131.31 million tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile
emissions of air pollutants in China, 1750–2022
Source: Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2022, emissions of air pollutants in China stood at 131.31 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 33.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants in China peaked at 215.31 million tonnes in 2006 and was at its lowest, 17.59 million tonnes, in 1750.
That places China 1st out of 220 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 17.82 million tonnes | 17.59 million tonnes | 18.04 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1760s | 18.20 million tonnes | 18.09 million tonnes | 18.30 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1770s | 20.42 million tonnes | 18.32 million tonnes | 22.52 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1780s | 23.47 million tonnes | 22.98 million tonnes | 23.95 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1790s | 23.46 million tonnes | 22.86 million tonnes | 24.06 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1800s | 24.04 million tonnes | 22.72 million tonnes | 25.36 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1810s | 25.49 million tonnes | 25.33 million tonnes | 25.65 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1820s | 26.09 million tonnes | 25.30 million tonnes | 26.88 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1830s | 27.05 million tonnes | 27.04 million tonnes | 27.05 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1840s | 27.03 million tonnes | 27.02 million tonnes | 27.04 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1850s | 25.97 million tonnes | 24.95 million tonnes | 27.01 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 24.16 million tonnes | 23.61 million tonnes | 24.73 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 23.78 million tonnes | 23.49 million tonnes | 24.08 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 24.49 million tonnes | 24.14 million tonnes | 24.84 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 25.49 million tonnes | 24.92 million tonnes | 26.06 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 26.91 million tonnes | 26.19 million tonnes | 27.68 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 29.40 million tonnes | 27.83 million tonnes | 31.00 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 32.00 million tonnes | 31.37 million tonnes | 32.62 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 33.96 million tonnes | 32.79 million tonnes | 35.02 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 36.22 million tonnes | 35.52 million tonnes | 36.82 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 48.69 million tonnes | 37.29 million tonnes | 67.47 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 73.57 million tonnes | 65.89 million tonnes | 85.26 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 111.45 million tonnes | 93.37 million tonnes | 129.23 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 149.91 million tonnes | 131.53 million tonnes | 170.81 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 191.22 million tonnes | 171.10 million tonnes | 202.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 203.18 million tonnes | 190.92 million tonnes | 215.31 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 174.11 million tonnes | 139.49 million tonnes | 200.86 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 134.11 million tonnes | 131.31 million tonnes | 136.64 million tonnes | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
More climate change data for China
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 6.2% (2100)
- Population growth -0.2% (2025)
- Population, total 1.41 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population 933.17 million (2025)
- Urban population 66.3% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 285.09 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is emissions of air pollutants in China?
- Emissions of air pollutants in China was 131.31 million tonnes in 2022, according to Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 215.31 million tonnes in 2006.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.59 million tonnes in 1750.
- How does China rank for emissions of air pollutants?
- China ranks 1st out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 273 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a pollutant produced from the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels such as oil, gas, wood, and coal. CO is a harmful gas that contributes to both outdoor and indoor air pollution.