Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per square kilometre in China
China: Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per square kilometre was 29,058 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
29,058 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 4.7%
World rank
59th
of 204 countries
All-time high
29,058 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
646.8 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per square kilometre in China, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
China recorded 29,058 tonnes per square kilometre for cumulative co₂ emissions, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 64.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions, per square kilometre in China peaked at 29,058 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 646.8 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
China ranks 59th of 204 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per square kilometre in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 646.8 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 695.76 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.6% |
| 1963 | 744.41 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.0% |
| 1964 | 793.48 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 1965 | 846.77 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1966 | 905.29 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.9% |
| 1967 | 954.32 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1968 | 1,007 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1969 | 1,072 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1970 | 1,158 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.0% |
| 1971 | 1,255 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.4% |
| 1972 | 1,358 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.2% |
| 1973 | 1,465 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.9% |
| 1974 | 1,575 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.5% |
| 1975 | 1,701 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.0% |
| 1976 | 1,831 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 1977 | 1,974 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.8% |
| 1978 | 2,133 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 1979 | 2,296 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.6% |
| 1980 | 2,455 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.9% |
| 1981 | 2,612 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1982 | 2,783 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 1983 | 2,964 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 1984 | 3,160 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 1985 | 3,373 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1986 | 3,597 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 1987 | 3,837 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1988 | 4,095 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1989 | 4,358 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1990 | 4,622 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1991 | 4,901 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1992 | 5,192 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1993 | 5,503 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1994 | 5,832 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1995 | 6,189 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1996 | 6,562 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1997 | 6,936 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1998 | 7,293 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 7,672 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 2000 | 8,060 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2001 | 8,456 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 2002 | 8,893 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 2003 | 9,408 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 2004 | 9,963 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 2005 | 10,590 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 11,280 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 2007 | 12,023 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 2008 | 12,821 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 13,661 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 14,578 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 2011 | 15,592 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.0% |
| 2012 | 16,632 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 17,691 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 2014 | 18,754 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 2015 | 19,804 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 20,842 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 21,908 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2018 | 23,010 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2019 | 24,151 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 25,312 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 26,514 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 2022 | 27,761 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 29,058 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 29,058 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10,301 tonnes per square kilometre, 2.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 29,058 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9,316 tonnes per square kilometre, 3.1× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 851.75 tonnes per square kilometre | 646.8 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,072 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,675 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,158 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,296 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 3,323 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,455 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,358 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 6,070 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,622 tonnes per square kilometre | 7,672 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 10,515 tonnes per square kilometre | 8,060 tonnes per square kilometre | 13,661 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 19,296 tonnes per square kilometre | 14,578 tonnes per square kilometre | 24,151 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 27,161 tonnes per square kilometre | 25,312 tonnes per square kilometre | 29,058 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 56 Spain 30,979 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 57 Saint Kitts and Nevis 29,904 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 58 Portugal 29,824 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 60 Grenada 27,270 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 61 Saint Lucia 26,096 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 62 Lithuania 25,520 tonnes per square kilometre compare
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 cumulative co₂ emissions, per square kilometre in China?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions, per square kilometre in China was 29,058 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 29,058 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 646.8 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does China rank for cumulative co₂ emissions, per square kilometre?
- China ranks 59th out of 204 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions, per square kilometre rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 64.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Cumulative CO₂ emissions, 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 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 ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 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 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.