Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per capita in United States
United States: Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per capita was 1,279 tonnes per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per capita in United States, 1960–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
United States recorded 1,279 tonnes per person for cumulative co₂ emissions, per capita in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions, per capita in United States peaked at 1,279 tonnes per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 660.52 tonnes per person, in 1960.
United States ranks 3rd of 204 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per capita in United States, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 660.52 tonnes per person | — |
| 1961 | 665.37 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 671.27 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 678.2 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 685.85 tonnes per person | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 694.83 tonnes per person | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 705.02 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 716.03 tonnes per person | +1.6% |
| 1968 | 728.05 tonnes per person | +1.7% |
| 1969 | 740.88 tonnes per person | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 753.47 tonnes per person | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 765.02 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 1972 | 778.66 tonnes per person | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 793.81 tonnes per person | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 808.14 tonnes per person | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 820.65 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 834.09 tonnes per person | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 847.31 tonnes per person | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 860.38 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 872.75 tonnes per person | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 885.23 tonnes per person | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 896.38 tonnes per person | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 906.49 tonnes per person | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 916.83 tonnes per person | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 927.92 tonnes per person | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 938.63 tonnes per person | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 948.73 tonnes per person | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 959.65 tonnes per person | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 971.01 tonnes per person | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 981.98 tonnes per person | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 991.51 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 998.41 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 1,005 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 1,012 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 1,020 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 1,028 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 1,037 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 1,046 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 1,054 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 1,063 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 1,073 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 1,083 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 1,093 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 1,105 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 1,116 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 1,126 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 1,135 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 1,145 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 1,154 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 1,162 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 1,170 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 1,179 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 1,186 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 1,195 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 1,202 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 1,210 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 1,216 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 1,224 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 1,233 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 1,242 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 1,252 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 1,265 tonnes per person | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 1,273 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 1,277 tonnes per person | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 1,279 tonnes per person | +0.2% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 1,279 tonnes per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 492.99 tonnes per person, 2.6× the median. (74 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 694.6 tonnes per person | 660.52 tonnes per person | 740.88 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 813.43 tonnes per person | 753.47 tonnes per person | 872.75 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 933.29 tonnes per person | 885.23 tonnes per person | 981.98 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,026 tonnes per person | 991.51 tonnes per person | 1,063 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,119 tonnes per person | 1,073 tonnes per person | 1,162 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,206 tonnes per person | 1,170 tonnes per person | 1,242 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,269 tonnes per person | 1,252 tonnes per person | 1,279 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 1 Curacao 3,411 tonnes per person compare
- 2 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 1,435 tonnes per person compare
- 4 Trinidad and Tobago 1,250 tonnes per person compare
- 5 Estonia 1,216 tonnes per person compare
- 6 Luxembourg 1,157 tonnes per person 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, per capita in United States?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions, per capita in United States was 1,279 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions, per capita recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 1,279 tonnes per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions, per capita recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 660.52 tonnes per person in 1960.
- How does United States rank for cumulative co₂ emissions, per capita?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions, per capita rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. 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, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Cumulative CO₂ emissions divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
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 divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.