emissions of air pollutants in India
India: emissions of air pollutants was 46.97 million tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile
emissions of air pollutants in India, 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 India stood at 46.97 million tonnes.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants in India peaked at 49.51 million tonnes in 2015 and was at its lowest, 8.36 million tonnes, in 1750.
That places India 2nd 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 | 8.43 million tonnes | 8.36 million tonnes | 8.49 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1760s | 8.58 million tonnes | 8.51 million tonnes | 8.64 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1770s | 8.73 million tonnes | 8.66 million tonnes | 8.79 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1780s | 8.88 million tonnes | 8.81 million tonnes | 8.94 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1790s | 9.03 million tonnes | 8.96 million tonnes | 9.09 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1800s | 9.17 million tonnes | 9.11 million tonnes | 9.24 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1810s | 9.32 million tonnes | 9.26 million tonnes | 9.39 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1820s | 9.50 million tonnes | 9.40 million tonnes | 9.60 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1830s | 9.80 million tonnes | 9.62 million tonnes | 9.98 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1840s | 10.21 million tonnes | 10.02 million tonnes | 10.40 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1850s | 10.72 million tonnes | 10.44 million tonnes | 11.00 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 11.35 million tonnes | 11.06 million tonnes | 11.64 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 12.35 million tonnes | 12.23 million tonnes | 12.47 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 13.05 million tonnes | 12.50 million tonnes | 13.69 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 14.06 million tonnes | 13.86 million tonnes | 14.33 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 15.35 million tonnes | 14.44 million tonnes | 16.21 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 16.48 million tonnes | 16.24 million tonnes | 16.82 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 16.24 million tonnes | 16.10 million tonnes | 16.36 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 16.39 million tonnes | 16.09 million tonnes | 16.88 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 16.46 million tonnes | 14.34 million tonnes | 17.65 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 16.25 million tonnes | 14.71 million tonnes | 17.98 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 20.29 million tonnes | 18.41 million tonnes | 21.52 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 24.30 million tonnes | 21.77 million tonnes | 26.94 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.92 million tonnes | 27.56 million tonnes | 35.03 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.18 million tonnes | 35.89 million tonnes | 40.00 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.35 million tonnes | 40.10 million tonnes | 46.21 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.59 million tonnes | 47.52 million tonnes | 49.51 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.74 million tonnes | 46.37 million tonnes | 46.97 million tonnes | 3 |
Countries ranked near India
More climate change data for India
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 14.8% (2100)
- Population growth 0.9% (2025)
- Population, total 1.46 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.8% (2025)
- Urban population 522.44 million (2025)
- Urban population 35.7% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 2.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 66.07 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 2.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 2.2 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is emissions of air pollutants in India?
- Emissions of air pollutants in India was 46.97 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 49.51 million tonnes in 2015.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.36 million tonnes in 1750.
- How does India rank for emissions of air pollutants?
- India ranks 2nd out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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.