Consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita in China
China: Consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita was 7.63 tonnes per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
7.63 tonnes per person
Change on year
up 4.3%
World rank
36th
of 120 countries
All-time high
7.63 tonnes per person
in 2023
All-time low
2.05 tonnes per person
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita in China, 1990–2023
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
China recorded 7.63 tonnes per person for consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita vs. gdp per capita in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 22.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita vs. gdp per capita in China peaked at 7.63 tonnes per person in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.05 tonnes per person, in 1990.
China ranks 36th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.05 tonnes per person | — |
| 1991 | 2.1 tonnes per person | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 2.24 tonnes per person | +6.9% |
| 1993 | 2.35 tonnes per person | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 2.31 tonnes per person | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 2.49 tonnes per person | +7.8% |
| 1996 | 2.57 tonnes per person | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 2.5 tonnes per person | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 2.4 tonnes per person | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 2.53 tonnes per person | +5.7% |
| 2000 | 2.55 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 2.61 tonnes per person | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 2.81 tonnes per person | +8.0% |
| 2003 | 3.11 tonnes per person | +10.4% |
| 2004 | 3.27 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 2005 | 3.55 tonnes per person | +8.6% |
| 2006 | 3.84 tonnes per person | +8.3% |
| 2007 | 4.12 tonnes per person | +7.4% |
| 2008 | 4.41 tonnes per person | +7.0% |
| 2009 | 4.96 tonnes per person | +12.3% |
| 2010 | 5.37 tonnes per person | +8.4% |
| 2011 | 5.92 tonnes per person | +10.3% |
| 2012 | 6.09 tonnes per person | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 6.26 tonnes per person | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 6.28 tonnes per person | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 6.3 tonnes per person | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 6.18 tonnes per person | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 6.34 tonnes per person | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 6.65 tonnes per person | +4.9% |
| 2019 | 6.86 tonnes per person | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 6.87 tonnes per person | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 7.07 tonnes per person | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 7.32 tonnes per person | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 7.63 tonnes per person | +4.3% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 7.63 tonnes per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.76 tonnes per person, 2.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)
- China's 7.63 tonnes per person is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.08 tonnes per person, 94% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.35 tonnes per person | 2.05 tonnes per person | 2.57 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.52 tonnes per person | 2.55 tonnes per person | 4.96 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.23 tonnes per person | 5.37 tonnes per person | 6.86 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.22 tonnes per person | 6.87 tonnes per person | 7.63 tonnes per person | 4 |
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 consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita vs. gdp per capita in China?
- Consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita vs. gdp per capita in China was 7.63 tonnes per person in 2023, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 7.63 tonnes per person in 2023.
- What is the lowest consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.05 tonnes per person in 1990.
- How does China rank for consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita vs. gdp per capita?
- China ranks 36th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.0%. 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); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual consumption-based emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), measured in tonnes per person.