Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in United States
United States: Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre was 13,745 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
13,745 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
58th
of 194 countries
All-time high
13,745 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
12,443 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in United States, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in United States stood at 13,745 tonnes per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in United States peaked at 13,745 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 12,443 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places United States 58th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in United States, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 12,443 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 12,468 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 12,480 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 12,490 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 12,495 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 12,498 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 12,554 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 12,649 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 12,699 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 12,736 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 12,767 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 12,794 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 12,816 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 12,839 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 12,860 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 12,882 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 12,918 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 12,946 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 12,973 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 13,003 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 13,032 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 13,061 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 13,091 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 13,122 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 13,154 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 13,179 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 13,208 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 13,239 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 13,270 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 13,302 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 13,330 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 13,351 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 13,370 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 13,396 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 13,408 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 13,419 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 13,432 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 13,446 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 13,464 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 13,477 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 13,483 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 13,497 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 13,526 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 13,550 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 13,585 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 13,580 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 13,578 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 13,610 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 13,618 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 13,637 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 13,630 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 13,635 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 13,635 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 13,643 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 13,649 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 13,660 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 13,678 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 13,689 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 13,700 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 13,710 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 13,719 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 13,732 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 13,745 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 13,745 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 4,090 tonnes per square kilometre, 3.4× the median. (64 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12,531 tonnes per square kilometre | 12,443 tonnes per square kilometre | 12,699 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 12,853 tonnes per square kilometre | 12,736 tonnes per square kilometre | 12,973 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 13,136 tonnes per square kilometre | 13,003 tonnes per square kilometre | 13,270 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 13,392 tonnes per square kilometre | 13,302 tonnes per square kilometre | 13,464 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 13,551 tonnes per square kilometre | 13,477 tonnes per square kilometre | 13,618 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 13,656 tonnes per square kilometre | 13,630 tonnes per square kilometre | 13,700 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 13,727 tonnes per square kilometre | 13,710 tonnes per square kilometre | 13,745 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 55 Romania 13,895 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 56 North Korea 13,838 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 57 Benin 13,786 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 59 Nigeria 13,714 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 60 United Kingdom 13,587 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 61 Belgium 13,516 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for United States
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 274,482 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 60,922 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 213,560 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 229.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7,627 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 107,381 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 89,068 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 18,313 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 336.11 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 654.05 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in United States?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in United States was 13,745 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 13,745 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,443 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does United States rank for cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre?
- United States ranks 58th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.