CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in United States
United States: CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change was 5.02 billion tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in United States, 1850–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in United States stood at 5.02 billion tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in United States peaked at 6.45 billion tonnes in 2005 and was at its lowest, 781.13 million tonnes, in 1850.
United States ranks 2nd of 194 countries on this measure, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 950.93 million tonnes | 781.13 million tonnes | 1.08 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 858.27 million tonnes | 806.62 million tonnes | 975.72 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 1.52 billion tonnes | 1.14 billion tonnes | 1.81 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.67 billion tonnes | 1.61 billion tonnes | 1.74 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.96 billion tonnes | 1.83 billion tonnes | 2.17 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 2.36 billion tonnes | 2.14 billion tonnes | 2.61 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 2.68 billion tonnes | 2.57 billion tonnes | 2.95 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 2.86 billion tonnes | 2.61 billion tonnes | 3.04 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 2.23 billion tonnes | 2.02 billion tonnes | 2.62 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.89 billion tonnes | 2.46 billion tonnes | 3.22 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 3.02 billion tonnes | 2.83 billion tonnes | 3.18 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.63 billion tonnes | 2.96 billion tonnes | 4.71 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.88 billion tonnes | 4.61 billion tonnes | 5.16 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.87 billion tonnes | 4.57 billion tonnes | 5.24 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.60 billion tonnes | 5.33 billion tonnes | 5.97 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.09 billion tonnes | 5.57 billion tonnes | 6.45 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.47 billion tonnes | 5.33 billion tonnes | 5.84 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.02 billion tonnes | 4.78 billion tonnes | 5.17 billion tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More climate change data for United States
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 4.1% (2100)
- Population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Population, total 341.79 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.6% (2025)
- Urban population 274.08 million (2025)
- Urban population 80.2% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 434.87 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in United States?
- Co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in United States was 5.02 billion tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 6.45 billion tonnes in 2005.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 781.13 million tonnes in 1850.
- How does United States rank for co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change?
- United States ranks 2nd out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), including land-use change, measured in tonnes.