CO₂ emissions from international aviation in China
China: CO₂ emissions from international aviation was 27.20 million tonnes in 2024. ▼ Falling
CO₂ emissions from international aviation in China, 2013–2024
Source: OECD (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, co₂ emissions from international aviation in China stood at 27.20 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 51.9% on the previous year and up 53.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from international aviation in China peaked at 35.13 million tonnes in 2019 and was at its lowest, 9.78 million tonnes, in 2022.
China ranks 4th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions from international aviation in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 15.99 million tonnes | — |
| 2014 | 17.78 million tonnes | +11.2% |
| 2015 | 20.28 million tonnes | +14.1% |
| 2016 | 23.38 million tonnes | +15.3% |
| 2017 | 25.39 million tonnes | +8.6% |
| 2018 | 27.47 million tonnes | +8.2% |
| 2019 | 35.13 million tonnes | +27.9% |
| 2020 | 13.47 million tonnes | -61.7% |
| 2021 | 11.30 million tonnes | -16.1% |
| 2022 | 9.78 million tonnes | -13.4% |
| 2023 | 17.90 million tonnes | +83.1% |
| 2024 | 27.20 million tonnes | +51.9% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 27.20 million tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 525,131 tonnes, 51.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 27.20 million tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 176,414 tonnes, 154.2× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 23.63 million tonnes | 15.99 million tonnes | 35.13 million tonnes | 7 |
| 2020s | 15.93 million tonnes | 9.78 million tonnes | 27.20 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 OECD 303.73 million tonnes compare
- 2 United States 68.05 million tonnes compare
- 3 United Kingdom 31.73 million tonnes compare
- 5 United Arab Emirates 25.58 million tonnes compare
- 6 Germany 20.77 million tonnes compare
- 7 Spain 18.59 million tonnes 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 co₂ emissions from international aviation in China?
- Co₂ emissions from international aviation in China was 27.20 million tonnes in 2024, according to OECD (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions from international aviation recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 35.13 million tonnes in 2019.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions from international aviation recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.78 million tonnes in 2022.
- How does China rank for co₂ emissions from international aviation?
- China ranks 4th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions from international aviation rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions from international aviation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
International aviation emissions are assigned to the country of departure. CO₂ emissions from commercial passenger flights only.