Carbon dioxide emissions by income level in India
India: Carbon dioxide emissions by income level was 3.19 billion tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
3.19 billion tonnes
Change on year
up 4.3%
World rank
3rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
3.19 billion tonnes
in 2024
All-time low
394,481 tonnes
in 1858
Years of data
156
1858–2024
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level in India, 1858–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, carbon dioxide emissions by income level in India stood at 3.19 billion tonnes. That is the highest value across all 156 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 48.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon dioxide emissions by income level in India peaked at 3.19 billion tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 394,481 tonnes, in 1858.
That places India 3rd out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level in India, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1858 | 394,481 tonnes | — |
| 1859 | 636,474 tonnes | +61.3% |
| 1860 | 643,104 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1861 | 497,245 tonnes | -22.7% |
| 1862 | 550,285 tonnes | +10.7% |
| 1863 | 609,954 tonnes | +10.8% |
| 1864 | 576,805 tonnes | -5.4% |
| 1865 | 566,860 tonnes | -1.7% |
| 1866 | 639,789 tonnes | +12.9% |
| 1878 | 1.77 million tonnes | +176.2% |
| 1879 | 1.68 million tonnes | -4.7% |
| 1880 | 1.89 million tonnes | +12.0% |
| 1881 | 1.84 million tonnes | -2.5% |
| 1882 | 2.20 million tonnes | +19.4% |
| 1883 | 2.44 million tonnes | +11.1% |
| 1884 | 2.73 million tonnes | +11.8% |
| 1885 | 2.46 million tonnes | -9.9% |
| 1886 | 2.77 million tonnes | +12.7% |
| 1887 | 3.07 million tonnes | +10.6% |
| 1888 | 3.41 million tonnes | +11.2% |
| 1889 | 4.02 million tonnes | +18.0% |
| 1890 | 4.43 million tonnes | +10.2% |
| 1891 | 4.77 million tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1892 | 5.25 million tonnes | +10.0% |
| 1893 | 5.54 million tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1894 | 5.62 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1895 | 7.03 million tonnes | +25.2% |
| 1896 | 7.61 million tonnes | +8.1% |
| 1897 | 8.25 million tonnes | +8.5% |
| 1898 | 9.13 million tonnes | +10.6% |
| 1899 | 10.05 million tonnes | +10.2% |
| 1900 | 11.93 million tonnes | +18.6% |
| 1901 | 13.18 million tonnes | +10.5% |
| 1902 | 14.52 million tonnes | +10.1% |
| 1903 | 14.80 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 1904 | 16.56 million tonnes | +11.9% |
| 1905 | 16.93 million tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1906 | 19.55 million tonnes | +15.5% |
| 1907 | 21.77 million tonnes | +11.4% |
| 1908 | 24.91 million tonnes | +14.4% |
| 1909 | 24.14 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 1910 | 23.49 million tonnes | -2.7% |
| 1911 | 24.78 million tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1912 | 28.52 million tonnes | +15.1% |
| 1913 | 31.47 million tonnes | +10.3% |
| 1914 | 31.70 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1915 | 33.14 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 1916 | 33.52 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1917 | 35.02 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1918 | 39.36 million tonnes | +12.4% |
| 1919 | 42.97 million tonnes | +9.2% |
| 1920 | 34.87 million tonnes | -18.9% |
| 1921 | 37.51 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1922 | 36.90 million tonnes | -1.6% |
| 1923 | 37.97 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1924 | 40.63 million tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1925 | 40.08 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1926 | 39.94 million tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1927 | 41.88 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1928 | 40.07 million tonnes | -4.3% |
| 1929 | 41.71 million tonnes | +4.1% |
| 1930 | 42.40 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1931 | 38.85 million tonnes | -8.4% |
| 1932 | 36.13 million tonnes | -7.0% |
| 1933 | 35.47 million tonnes | -1.8% |
| 1934 | 39.61 million tonnes | +11.7% |
| 1935 | 41.39 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1936 | 40.68 million tonnes | -1.7% |
| 1937 | 45.07 million tonnes | +10.8% |
| 1938 | 50.38 million tonnes | +11.8% |
| 1939 | 49.31 million tonnes | -2.1% |
| 1940 | 52.31 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1941 | 53.58 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 1942 | 53.53 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1943 | 46.64 million tonnes | -12.9% |
| 1944 | 47.70 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1945 | 52.87 million tonnes | +10.9% |
| 1946 | 52.22 million tonnes | -1.2% |
| 1947 | 53.18 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1948 | 53.20 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 56.19 million tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1950 | 60.94 million tonnes | +8.5% |
| 1951 | 63.81 million tonnes | +4.7% |
| 1952 | 67.25 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1953 | 68.61 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 1954 | 72.31 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1955 | 78.69 million tonnes | +8.8% |
| 1956 | 81.62 million tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1957 | 91.62 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 1958 | 95.80 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 1959 | 101.44 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1960 | 111.32 million tonnes | +9.7% |
| 1961 | 120.40 million tonnes | +8.2% |
| 1962 | 132.58 million tonnes | +10.1% |
| 1963 | 142.44 million tonnes | +7.4% |
| 1964 | 139.48 million tonnes | -2.1% |
| 1965 | 153.70 million tonnes | +10.2% |
| 1966 | 159.37 million tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1967 | 159.56 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 174.07 million tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1969 | 177.41 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 181.72 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 1971 | 191.97 million tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1972 | 203.04 million tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1973 | 209.10 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1974 | 215.85 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 234.21 million tonnes | +8.5% |
| 1976 | 244.75 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1977 | 258.96 million tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1978 | 263.15 million tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 276.29 million tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1980 | 291.71 million tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1981 | 314.97 million tonnes | +8.0% |
| 1982 | 325.38 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 352.20 million tonnes | +8.2% |
| 1984 | 361.57 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 397.60 million tonnes | +10.0% |
| 1986 | 426.32 million tonnes | +7.2% |
| 1987 | 455.36 million tonnes | +6.8% |
| 1988 | 491.70 million tonnes | +8.0% |
| 1989 | 540.66 million tonnes | +10.0% |
| 1990 | 577.99 million tonnes | +6.9% |
| 1991 | 615.39 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1992 | 655.42 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1993 | 677.26 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 714.04 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1995 | 760.48 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1996 | 823.60 million tonnes | +8.3% |
| 1997 | 857.98 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 875.78 million tonnes | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 961.19 million tonnes | +9.8% |
| 2000 | 987.07 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 1.00 billion tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 1.03 billion tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 1.07 billion tonnes | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 1.13 billion tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 1.20 billion tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2006 | 1.29 billion tonnes | +8.2% |
| 2007 | 1.39 billion tonnes | +7.7% |
| 2008 | 1.49 billion tonnes | +7.0% |
| 2009 | 1.61 billion tonnes | +8.3% |
| 2010 | 1.68 billion tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 1.77 billion tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2012 | 1.93 billion tonnes | +9.1% |
| 2013 | 2.00 billion tonnes | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 2.15 billion tonnes | +7.7% |
| 2015 | 2.23 billion tonnes | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 2.35 billion tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 2.43 billion tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 2.60 billion tonnes | +7.0% |
| 2019 | 2.61 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 2.42 billion tonnes | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 2.68 billion tonnes | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 2.83 billion tonnes | +5.8% |
| 2023 | 3.06 billion tonnes | +8.2% |
| 2024 | 3.19 billion tonnes | +4.3% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 3.19 billion tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12.04 million tonnes, 265.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 3.19 billion tonnes is above the median for South Asia, which is 19.80 million tonnes, 161.3× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Carbon dioxide emissions by income level in India 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 | +176.2% | 639,789 tonnes | 1.77 million tonnes |
| 1859 | +61.3% | 394,481 tonnes | 636,474 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 515,478 tonnes | 394,481 tonnes | 636,474 tonnes | 2 |
| 1860s | 583,435 tonnes | 497,245 tonnes | 643,104 tonnes | 7 |
| 1870s | 1.73 million tonnes | 1.68 million tonnes | 1.77 million tonnes | 2 |
| 1880s | 2.68 million tonnes | 1.84 million tonnes | 4.02 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 6.77 million tonnes | 4.43 million tonnes | 10.05 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 17.83 million tonnes | 11.93 million tonnes | 24.91 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 32.40 million tonnes | 23.49 million tonnes | 42.97 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 39.16 million tonnes | 34.87 million tonnes | 41.88 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 41.93 million tonnes | 35.47 million tonnes | 50.38 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 52.14 million tonnes | 46.64 million tonnes | 56.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 78.21 million tonnes | 60.94 million tonnes | 101.44 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 147.03 million tonnes | 111.32 million tonnes | 177.41 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 227.90 million tonnes | 181.72 million tonnes | 276.29 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 395.75 million tonnes | 291.71 million tonnes | 540.66 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 751.91 million tonnes | 577.99 million tonnes | 961.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.22 billion tonnes | 987.07 million tonnes | 1.61 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.17 billion tonnes | 1.68 billion tonnes | 2.61 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.84 billion tonnes | 2.42 billion tonnes | 3.19 billion tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
More climate change data for India
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 27.69 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 602,760 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 105,678 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 497,082 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 398.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 17,753 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 279,594 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 176,015 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 103,578 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 664.21 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon dioxide emissions by income level in India?
- Carbon dioxide emissions by income level in India was 3.19 billion tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest carbon dioxide emissions by income level recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 3.19 billion tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest carbon dioxide emissions by income level recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 394,481 tonnes in 1858.
- How does India rank for carbon dioxide emissions by income level?
- India ranks 3rd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon dioxide emissions by income level rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 48.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Carbon dioxide emissions by income level. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 156 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in tonnes.