Cumulative CO₂ emissions in China
China: Cumulative CO₂ emissions was 285.09 billion tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Cumulative CO₂ emissions in China, 1907–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, cumulative co₂ emissions in China stood at 285.09 billion tonnes. That is the highest value across all 118 years on record.
The figure is up 4.5% on the previous year and up 61.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions in China peaked at 285.09 billion tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 19.89 million tonnes, in 1907.
That places China 2nd out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 43.13 million tonnes | 19.89 million tonnes | 66.88 million tonnes | 3 |
| 1910s | 205.81 million tonnes | 91.89 million tonnes | 344.84 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 582.38 million tonnes | 385.12 million tonnes | 790.51 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.11 billion tonnes | 840.07 million tonnes | 1.41 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.92 billion tonnes | 1.50 billion tonnes | 2.19 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 3.09 billion tonnes | 2.27 billion tonnes | 4.70 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 7.75 billion tonnes | 5.50 billion tonnes | 10.06 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.72 billion tonnes | 10.87 billion tonnes | 21.55 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 31.20 billion tonnes | 23.05 billion tonnes | 40.91 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 56.99 billion tonnes | 43.40 billion tonnes | 72.02 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 98.72 billion tonnes | 75.67 billion tonnes | 128.25 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 181.16 billion tonnes | 136.86 billion tonnes | 226.73 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 261.01 billion tonnes | 237.63 billion tonnes | 285.09 billion tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 United States 434.87 billion tonnes compare
- 3 Russia 122.81 billion tonnes compare
- 4 Germany 95.14 billion tonnes compare
- 5 United Kingdom 80.08 billion tonnes compare
More climate change data for China
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 6.2% (2100)
- Population growth -0.2% (2025)
- Population, total 1.41 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population 933.17 million (2025)
- Urban population 66.3% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- Share of global CO₂ emissions vs. share of population 31.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cumulative co₂ emissions in China?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions in China was 285.09 billion tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 285.09 billion tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.89 million tonnes in 1907.
- How does China rank for cumulative co₂ emissions?
- China ranks 2nd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 61.9%. 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) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Cumulative CO₂ emissions. 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
Total cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, since the first year of available data, measured in tonnes.