CO₂ emissions per capita in China
China: CO₂ emissions per capita was 8.66 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
CO₂ emissions per capita in China, 1907–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
China recorded 8.66 tonnes per person for co₂ emissions per capita in 2024. That is the highest value across all 118 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 20.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions per capita in China peaked at 8.66 tonnes per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.0399 tonnes per person, in 1912.
That places China 30th out of 213 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0539 tonnes per person | 0.0484 tonnes per person | 0.0583 tonnes per person | 3 |
| 1910s | 0.0631 tonnes per person | 0.0399 tonnes per person | 0.0827 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.0942 tonnes per person | 0.0831 tonnes per person | 0.1035 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.1256 tonnes per person | 0.1026 tonnes per person | 0.1511 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.1494 tonnes per person | 0.0684 tonnes per person | 0.2469 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.4049 tonnes per person | 0.1449 tonnes per person | 1.1 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.7531 tonnes per person | 0.6048 tonnes per person | 1.22 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.26 tonnes per person | 0.9814 tonnes per person | 1.57 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.82 tonnes per person | 1.48 tonnes per person | 2.17 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.56 tonnes per person | 2.15 tonnes per person | 2.84 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.29 tonnes per person | 2.87 tonnes per person | 5.87 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.08 tonnes per person | 6.37 tonnes per person | 7.53 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.2 tonnes per person | 7.64 tonnes per person | 8.66 tonnes per person | 5 |
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 vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- Share of global CO₂ emissions vs. share of population 31.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions per capita in China?
- Co₂ emissions per capita in China was 8.66 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions per capita recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 8.66 tonnes per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions per capita recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0399 tonnes per person in 1912.
- How does China rank for co₂ emissions per capita?
- China ranks 30th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions per capita rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 118 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes. This includes emissions from transport, electricity generation, and heating, but not land-use change.