Per capita consumption-based CO₂ emissions in China
China: Per capita consumption-based CO₂ emissions was 7.63 tonnes per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Per capita consumption-based CO₂ emissions 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
In 2023, per capita consumption-based co₂ emissions in China stood at 7.63 tonnes per person. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 22.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita consumption-based co₂ emissions in China peaked at 7.63 tonnes per person in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.05 tonnes per person, in 1990.
That places China 36th out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Per capita consumption-based CO₂ emissions 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 per capita consumption-based co₂ emissions in China?
- Per capita consumption-based co₂ emissions 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 per capita consumption-based co₂ emissions recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 7.63 tonnes per person in 2023.
- What is the lowest per capita consumption-based co₂ emissions recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.05 tonnes per person in 1990.
- How does China rank for per capita consumption-based co₂ emissions?
- China ranks 36th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita consumption-based co₂ emissions 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 Per capita consumption-based CO₂ emissions. 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.