CO₂ emissions from transport in China
China: CO₂ emissions from transport was 1.05 billion tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
CO₂ emissions from transport in China, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, co₂ emissions from transport in China stood at 1.05 billion tonnes.
That represents a change of up 5.5% on the previous year and up 41.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from transport in China peaked at 1.10 billion tonnes in 2021 and was at its lowest, 94.15 million tonnes, in 1990.
That places China 2nd out of 191 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
CO₂ emissions from transport in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 94.15 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 100.62 million tonnes | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 111.10 million tonnes | +10.4% |
| 1993 | 125.70 million tonnes | +13.1% |
| 1994 | 116.35 million tonnes | -7.4% |
| 1995 | 127.37 million tonnes | +9.5% |
| 1996 | 169.85 million tonnes | +33.4% |
| 1997 | 146.13 million tonnes | -14.0% |
| 1998 | 140.29 million tonnes | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 157.36 million tonnes | +12.2% |
| 2000 | 248.48 million tonnes | +57.9% |
| 2001 | 254.25 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 276.44 million tonnes | +8.7% |
| 2003 | 313.14 million tonnes | +13.3% |
| 2004 | 371.14 million tonnes | +18.5% |
| 2005 | 397.31 million tonnes | +7.1% |
| 2006 | 434.81 million tonnes | +9.4% |
| 2007 | 468.58 million tonnes | +7.8% |
| 2008 | 507.07 million tonnes | +8.2% |
| 2009 | 517.07 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 568.78 million tonnes | +10.0% |
| 2011 | 621.89 million tonnes | +9.3% |
| 2012 | 686.13 million tonnes | +10.3% |
| 2013 | 741.09 million tonnes | +8.0% |
| 2014 | 770.35 million tonnes | +3.9% |
| 2015 | 828.46 million tonnes | +7.5% |
| 2016 | 845.36 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 877.82 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 960.64 million tonnes | +9.4% |
| 2019 | 1.02 billion tonnes | +5.7% |
| 2020 | 1.03 billion tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 1.10 billion tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2022 | 993.94 million tonnes | -9.6% |
| 2023 | 1.05 billion tonnes | +5.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1.05 billion tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.45 million tonnes, 235.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 1.05 billion tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.11 million tonnes, 337.1× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where CO₂ emissions from transport 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +57.9% | 157.36 million tonnes | 248.48 million tonnes |
| 1996 | +33.4% | 127.37 million tonnes | 169.85 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 128.89 million tonnes | 94.15 million tonnes | 169.85 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 378.83 million tonnes | 248.48 million tonnes | 517.07 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 791.62 million tonnes | 568.78 million tonnes | 1.02 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.04 billion tonnes | 993.94 million tonnes | 1.10 billion tonnes | 4 |
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 co₂ emissions from transport in China?
- Co₂ emissions from transport in China was 1.05 billion tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions from transport recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.10 billion tonnes in 2021.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions from transport recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 94.15 million tonnes in 1990.
- How does China rank for co₂ emissions from transport?
- China ranks 2nd out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions from transport rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions from transport. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes.