CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables in China
China: CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables was 8.66 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
8.66 tonnes per person
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
30th
of 213 countries
All-time high
8.66 tonnes per person
in 2024
All-time low
0.0399 tonnes per person
in 1912
Years of data
118
1907–2024
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables in China, 1907–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
In 2024, co₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables in China stood at 8.66 tonnes per person. That is the highest value across all 118 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 20.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables in China peaked at 8.66 tonnes per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.0399 tonnes per person, in 1912.
China ranks 30th of 213 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1907 | 0.0484 tonnes per person | — |
| 1908 | 0.055 tonnes per person | +13.7% |
| 1909 | 0.0583 tonnes per person | +6.0% |
| 1910 | 0.0597 tonnes per person | +2.3% |
| 1911 | 0.0583 tonnes per person | -2.4% |
| 1912 | 0.0399 tonnes per person | -31.5% |
| 1913 | 0.0562 tonnes per person | +40.9% |
| 1914 | 0.0613 tonnes per person | +9.0% |
| 1915 | 0.0577 tonnes per person | -5.9% |
| 1916 | 0.0676 tonnes per person | +17.3% |
| 1917 | 0.0711 tonnes per person | +5.1% |
| 1918 | 0.0763 tonnes per person | +7.3% |
| 1919 | 0.0827 tonnes per person | +8.3% |
| 1920 | 0.0869 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 1921 | 0.0831 tonnes per person | -4.4% |
| 1922 | 0.0853 tonnes per person | +2.6% |
| 1923 | 0.0989 tonnes per person | +16.0% |
| 1924 | 0.1035 tonnes per person | +4.6% |
| 1925 | 0.097 tonnes per person | -6.3% |
| 1926 | 0.0918 tonnes per person | -5.3% |
| 1927 | 0.096 tonnes per person | +4.6% |
| 1928 | 0.0994 tonnes per person | +3.5% |
| 1929 | 0.1004 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 1930 | 0.1026 tonnes per person | +2.2% |
| 1931 | 0.107 tonnes per person | +4.2% |
| 1932 | 0.103 tonnes per person | -3.7% |
| 1933 | 0.1103 tonnes per person | +7.0% |
| 1934 | 0.1264 tonnes per person | +14.6% |
| 1935 | 0.1463 tonnes per person | +15.8% |
| 1936 | 0.1511 tonnes per person | +3.3% |
| 1937 | 0.1412 tonnes per person | -6.5% |
| 1938 | 0.1214 tonnes per person | -14.0% |
| 1939 | 0.1464 tonnes per person | +20.6% |
| 1940 | 0.1776 tonnes per person | +21.3% |
| 1941 | 0.2217 tonnes per person | +24.8% |
| 1942 | 0.2469 tonnes per person | +11.4% |
| 1943 | 0.2097 tonnes per person | -15.0% |
| 1944 | 0.1972 tonnes per person | -6.0% |
| 1945 | 0.1064 tonnes per person | -46.0% |
| 1946 | 0.0684 tonnes per person | -35.7% |
| 1947 | 0.0788 tonnes per person | +15.3% |
| 1948 | 0.072 tonnes per person | -8.7% |
| 1949 | 0.1154 tonnes per person | +60.3% |
| 1950 | 0.1449 tonnes per person | +25.6% |
| 1951 | 0.1844 tonnes per person | +27.3% |
| 1952 | 0.2265 tonnes per person | +22.8% |
| 1953 | 0.2316 tonnes per person | +2.3% |
| 1954 | 0.2726 tonnes per person | +17.7% |
| 1955 | 0.3157 tonnes per person | +15.8% |
| 1956 | 0.3501 tonnes per person | +10.9% |
| 1957 | 0.4058 tonnes per person | +15.9% |
| 1958 | 0.8144 tonnes per person | +100.7% |
| 1959 | 1.1 tonnes per person | +35.5% |
| 1960 | 1.22 tonnes per person | +10.6% |
| 1961 | 0.8702 tonnes per person | -28.7% |
| 1962 | 0.6911 tonnes per person | -20.6% |
| 1963 | 0.6673 tonnes per person | -3.4% |
| 1964 | 0.6536 tonnes per person | -2.1% |
| 1965 | 0.6916 tonnes per person | +5.8% |
| 1966 | 0.7401 tonnes per person | +7.0% |
| 1967 | 0.6048 tonnes per person | -18.3% |
| 1968 | 0.6345 tonnes per person | +4.9% |
| 1969 | 0.7576 tonnes per person | +19.4% |
| 1970 | 0.9814 tonnes per person | +29.5% |
| 1971 | 1.08 tonnes per person | +9.8% |
| 1972 | 1.12 tonnes per person | +4.1% |
| 1973 | 1.14 tonnes per person | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 1.14 tonnes per person | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.29 tonnes per person | +13.1% |
| 1976 | 1.32 tonnes per person | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 1.42 tonnes per person | +7.8% |
| 1978 | 1.56 tonnes per person | +9.9% |
| 1979 | 1.57 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 1.52 tonnes per person | -3.4% |
| 1981 | 1.48 tonnes per person | -2.6% |
| 1982 | 1.58 tonnes per person | +7.1% |
| 1983 | 1.65 tonnes per person | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 1.77 tonnes per person | +7.3% |
| 1985 | 1.88 tonnes per person | +6.7% |
| 1986 | 1.95 tonnes per person | +3.6% |
| 1987 | 2.06 tonnes per person | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 2.17 tonnes per person | +5.6% |
| 1989 | 2.17 tonnes per person | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 2.15 tonnes per person | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 2.24 tonnes per person | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 2.31 tonnes per person | +3.1% |
| 1993 | 2.43 tonnes per person | +5.6% |
| 1994 | 2.56 tonnes per person | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 2.75 tonnes per person | +7.3% |
| 1996 | 2.84 tonnes per person | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 2.83 tonnes per person | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 2.68 tonnes per person | -5.2% |
| 1999 | 2.82 tonnes per person | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 2.87 tonnes per person | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 2.91 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 3.18 tonnes per person | +9.3% |
| 2003 | 3.74 tonnes per person | +17.3% |
| 2004 | 4 tonnes per person | +7.1% |
| 2005 | 4.49 tonnes per person | +12.2% |
| 2006 | 4.92 tonnes per person | +9.6% |
| 2007 | 5.26 tonnes per person | +6.9% |
| 2008 | 5.62 tonnes per person | +6.8% |
| 2009 | 5.87 tonnes per person | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 6.37 tonnes per person | +8.5% |
| 2011 | 7 tonnes per person | +9.9% |
| 2012 | 7.13 tonnes per person | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 7.21 tonnes per person | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 7.19 tonnes per person | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 7.06 tonnes per person | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 6.94 tonnes per person | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 7.08 tonnes per person | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 7.29 tonnes per person | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 7.53 tonnes per person | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 7.64 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 7.91 tonnes per person | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 8.22 tonnes per person | +3.9% |
| 2023 | 8.56 tonnes per person | +4.1% |
| 2024 | 8.66 tonnes per person | +1.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 8.66 tonnes per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.04 tonnes per person, 2.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 8.66 tonnes per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.21 tonnes per person, 2.7× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 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 | +100.7% | 0.4058 tonnes per person | 0.8144 tonnes per person |
| 1949 | +60.3% | 0.072 tonnes per person | 0.1154 tonnes per person |
| 1945 | -46.0% | 0.1972 tonnes per person | 0.1064 tonnes per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0539 tonnes per person | 0.0484 tonnes per person | 0.0583 tonnes per person | 3 |
| 1910s | 0.0631 tonnes per person | 0.0399 tonnes per person | 0.0827 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.0942 tonnes per person | 0.0831 tonnes per person | 0.1035 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.1256 tonnes per person | 0.1026 tonnes per person | 0.1511 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.1494 tonnes per person | 0.0684 tonnes per person | 0.2469 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.4049 tonnes per person | 0.1449 tonnes per person | 1.1 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.7531 tonnes per person | 0.6048 tonnes per person | 1.22 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.26 tonnes per person | 0.9814 tonnes per person | 1.57 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.82 tonnes per person | 1.48 tonnes per person | 2.17 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.56 tonnes per person | 2.15 tonnes per person | 2.84 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.29 tonnes per person | 2.87 tonnes per person | 5.87 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.08 tonnes per person | 6.37 tonnes per person | 7.53 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.2 tonnes per person | 7.64 tonnes per person | 8.66 tonnes per person | 5 |
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 per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables in China?
- Co₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables in China was 8.66 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 8.66 tonnes per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0399 tonnes per person in 1912.
- How does China rank for co₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables?
- China ranks 30th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 118 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes. This includes emissions from transport, electricity generation, and heating, but not land-use change.