Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP in China
China: Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP was 0.4343 kilograms per international-$ in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
0.4343 kilograms per international-$
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
19th
of 164 countries
All-time high
1.13 kilograms per international-$
in 1960
All-time low
0.0563 kilograms per international-$
in 1913
Years of data
85
1911–2022
Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP in China, 1911–2022
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per international-$.
Analysis
China recorded 0.4343 kilograms per international-$ for carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in 2022.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 34.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in China peaked at 1.13 kilograms per international-$ in 1960 and was at its lowest, 0.0563 kilograms per international-$, in 1913.
That places China 19th out of 164 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 85 years of available data.
Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP in China, year by year
| Year | kilograms per international-$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 0.0636 kilograms per international-$ | — |
| 1913 | 0.0563 kilograms per international-$ | -11.5% |
| 1929 | 0.0988 kilograms per international-$ | +75.4% |
| 1930 | 0.1001 kilograms per international-$ | +1.4% |
| 1931 | 0.1038 kilograms per international-$ | +3.7% |
| 1932 | 0.0975 kilograms per international-$ | -6.1% |
| 1933 | 0.1173 kilograms per international-$ | +20.3% |
| 1934 | 0.1325 kilograms per international-$ | +13.0% |
| 1935 | 0.1428 kilograms per international-$ | +7.8% |
| 1936 | 0.1395 kilograms per international-$ | -2.3% |
| 1937 | 0.1344 kilograms per international-$ | -3.7% |
| 1938 | 0.1192 kilograms per international-$ | -11.3% |
| 1950 | 0.1804 kilograms per international-$ | +51.4% |
| 1951 | 0.1928 kilograms per international-$ | +6.9% |
| 1952 | 0.2149 kilograms per international-$ | +11.5% |
| 1953 | 0.1989 kilograms per international-$ | -7.4% |
| 1954 | 0.2576 kilograms per international-$ | +29.5% |
| 1955 | 0.2797 kilograms per international-$ | +8.6% |
| 1956 | 0.2921 kilograms per international-$ | +4.4% |
| 1957 | 0.3358 kilograms per international-$ | +15.0% |
| 1958 | 0.6847 kilograms per international-$ | +103.9% |
| 1959 | 0.9681 kilograms per international-$ | +41.4% |
| 1960 | 1.13 kilograms per international-$ | +17.0% |
| 1961 | 0.9888 kilograms per international-$ | -12.7% |
| 1962 | 0.7455 kilograms per international-$ | -24.6% |
| 1963 | 0.6474 kilograms per international-$ | -13.2% |
| 1964 | 0.5726 kilograms per international-$ | -11.6% |
| 1965 | 0.5583 kilograms per international-$ | -2.5% |
| 1966 | 0.5925 kilograms per international-$ | +6.1% |
| 1967 | 0.4931 kilograms per international-$ | -16.8% |
| 1968 | 0.5431 kilograms per international-$ | +10.1% |
| 1969 | 0.604 kilograms per international-$ | +11.2% |
| 1970 | 0.7063 kilograms per international-$ | +16.9% |
| 1971 | 0.7476 kilograms per international-$ | +5.8% |
| 1972 | 0.7852 kilograms per international-$ | +5.0% |
| 1973 | 0.7556 kilograms per international-$ | -3.8% |
| 1974 | 0.7517 kilograms per international-$ | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 0.81 kilograms per international-$ | +7.8% |
| 1976 | 0.8675 kilograms per international-$ | +7.1% |
| 1977 | 0.8977 kilograms per international-$ | +3.5% |
| 1978 | 0.895 kilograms per international-$ | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 0.8468 kilograms per international-$ | -5.4% |
| 1980 | 0.7891 kilograms per international-$ | -6.8% |
| 1981 | 0.7571 kilograms per international-$ | -4.1% |
| 1982 | 0.7546 kilograms per international-$ | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 0.7432 kilograms per international-$ | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 0.7278 kilograms per international-$ | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 0.7255 kilograms per international-$ | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 0.7175 kilograms per international-$ | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 0.7102 kilograms per international-$ | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 0.7228 kilograms per international-$ | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 0.7283 kilograms per international-$ | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 0.7337 kilograms per international-$ | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 0.7464 kilograms per international-$ | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 0.7274 kilograms per international-$ | -2.6% |
| 1993 | 0.7063 kilograms per international-$ | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 0.697 kilograms per international-$ | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 0.6967 kilograms per international-$ | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.6824 kilograms per international-$ | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 0.6638 kilograms per international-$ | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 0.6285 kilograms per international-$ | -5.3% |
| 1999 | 0.6364 kilograms per international-$ | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 0.6121 kilograms per international-$ | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 0.5884 kilograms per international-$ | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 0.6014 kilograms per international-$ | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 0.6671 kilograms per international-$ | +10.9% |
| 2004 | 0.6654 kilograms per international-$ | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 0.6837 kilograms per international-$ | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 0.6835 kilograms per international-$ | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.6733 kilograms per international-$ | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 0.6938 kilograms per international-$ | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 0.6811 kilograms per international-$ | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 0.6696 kilograms per international-$ | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 0.6953 kilograms per international-$ | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 0.6612 kilograms per international-$ | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 0.6243 kilograms per international-$ | -5.6% |
| 2014 | 0.5833 kilograms per international-$ | -6.6% |
| 2015 | 0.5387 kilograms per international-$ | -7.6% |
| 2016 | 0.4987 kilograms per international-$ | -7.4% |
| 2017 | 0.4786 kilograms per international-$ | -4.0% |
| 2018 | 0.4641 kilograms per international-$ | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 0.4533 kilograms per international-$ | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 0.4512 kilograms per international-$ | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 0.431 kilograms per international-$ | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 0.4343 kilograms per international-$ | +0.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.4343 kilograms per international-$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.2348 kilograms per international-$, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- China's 0.4343 kilograms per international-$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.2839 kilograms per international-$, 1.5× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | +103.9% | 0.3358 kilograms per international-$ | 0.6847 kilograms per international-$ |
| 1929 | +75.4% | 0.0563 kilograms per international-$ | 0.0988 kilograms per international-$ |
| 1950 | +51.4% | 0.1192 kilograms per international-$ | 0.1804 kilograms per international-$ |
| 1959 | +41.4% | 0.6847 kilograms per international-$ | 0.9681 kilograms per international-$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0.06 kilograms per international-$ | 0.0563 kilograms per international-$ | 0.0636 kilograms per international-$ | 2 |
| 1920s | 0.0988 kilograms per international-$ | 0.0988 kilograms per international-$ | 0.0988 kilograms per international-$ | 1 |
| 1930s | 0.1208 kilograms per international-$ | 0.0975 kilograms per international-$ | 0.1428 kilograms per international-$ | 9 |
| 1950s | 0.3605 kilograms per international-$ | 0.1804 kilograms per international-$ | 0.9681 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.6878 kilograms per international-$ | 0.4931 kilograms per international-$ | 1.13 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.8063 kilograms per international-$ | 0.7063 kilograms per international-$ | 0.8977 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.7376 kilograms per international-$ | 0.7102 kilograms per international-$ | 0.7891 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6919 kilograms per international-$ | 0.6285 kilograms per international-$ | 0.7464 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.655 kilograms per international-$ | 0.5884 kilograms per international-$ | 0.6938 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5667 kilograms per international-$ | 0.4533 kilograms per international-$ | 0.6953 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4388 kilograms per international-$ | 0.431 kilograms per international-$ | 0.4512 kilograms per international-$ | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
- 16 Russia 0.449 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 17 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.4407 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 18 Oman 0.4398 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 20 Iraq 0.4125 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 21 Laos 0.4103 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 22 Jamaica 0.395 kilograms per international-$ compare
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 carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in China?
- Carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in China was 0.4343 kilograms per international-$ in 2022, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.13 kilograms per international-$ in 1960.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0563 kilograms per international-$ in 1913.
- How does China rank for carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp?
- China ranks 19th out of 164 countries with data for 2022.
- Is carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in kilograms per dollar of GDP (2011 international-$).