Cumulative CO₂ emissions from flaring in United States
United States: Cumulative CO₂ emissions from flaring was 2.47 billion tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
2.47 billion tonnes
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
1st
of 215 countries
All-time high
2.47 billion tonnes
in 2024
All-time low
43.12 million tonnes
in 1950
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from flaring in United States, 1950–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cumulative co₂ emissions from flaring in United States is 2.47 billion tonnes, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 75 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 34.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions from flaring in United States peaked at 2.47 billion tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 43.12 million tonnes, in 1950.
That places United States 1st 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.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from flaring in United States, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 43.12 million tonnes | — |
| 1951 | 85.82 million tonnes | +99.0% |
| 1952 | 131.50 million tonnes | +53.2% |
| 1953 | 175.12 million tonnes | +33.2% |
| 1954 | 214.08 million tonnes | +22.2% |
| 1955 | 255.72 million tonnes | +19.5% |
| 1956 | 302.25 million tonnes | +18.2% |
| 1957 | 345.81 million tonnes | +14.4% |
| 1958 | 379.90 million tonnes | +9.9% |
| 1959 | 410.66 million tonnes | +8.1% |
| 1960 | 440.98 million tonnes | +7.4% |
| 1961 | 469.18 million tonnes | +6.4% |
| 1962 | 492.10 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1963 | 512.75 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1964 | 531.16 million tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1965 | 548.35 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1966 | 568.58 million tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1967 | 594.96 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 1968 | 622.78 million tonnes | +4.7% |
| 1969 | 651.10 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1970 | 677.35 million tonnes | +4.0% |
| 1971 | 692.61 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1972 | 705.91 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 719.10 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 728.00 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1975 | 735.11 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 742.45 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 749.71 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 757.84 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 766.70 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 773.39 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 778.63 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 783.62 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 788.71 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 794.49 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 799.60 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 804.84 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 811.47 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 819.11 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 826.71 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 869.38 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1991 | 911.22 million tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1992 | 952.68 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1993 | 993.78 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1994 | 1.03 billion tonnes | +4.1% |
| 1995 | 1.07 billion tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 1.11 billion tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 1.15 billion tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 1.19 billion tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 1.22 billion tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 1.26 billion tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 1.29 billion tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 1.33 billion tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 1.36 billion tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 1.40 billion tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 1.44 billion tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 1.48 billion tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 1.52 billion tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 1.56 billion tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 1.59 billion tonnes | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 1.63 billion tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 1.68 billion tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 1.73 billion tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 1.78 billion tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 1.84 billion tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 1.90 billion tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 1.95 billion tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 2.01 billion tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 2.07 billion tonnes | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 2.16 billion tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 2.22 billion tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 2.28 billion tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 2.34 billion tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 2.40 billion tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 2.47 billion tonnes | +2.6% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 2.47 billion tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.74 million tonnes, 898.7× the median. (74 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cumulative CO₂ emissions from flaring in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | +99.0% | 43.12 million tonnes | 85.82 million tonnes |
| 1952 | +53.2% | 85.82 million tonnes | 131.50 million tonnes |
| 1953 | +33.2% | 131.50 million tonnes | 175.12 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 234.40 million tonnes | 43.12 million tonnes | 410.66 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 543.19 million tonnes | 440.98 million tonnes | 651.10 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 727.48 million tonnes | 677.35 million tonnes | 766.70 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 798.06 million tonnes | 773.39 million tonnes | 826.71 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.05 billion tonnes | 869.38 million tonnes | 1.22 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.42 billion tonnes | 1.26 billion tonnes | 1.59 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.87 billion tonnes | 1.63 billion tonnes | 2.16 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.34 billion tonnes | 2.22 billion tonnes | 2.47 billion tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
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 flaring in United States?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions from flaring in United States was 2.47 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 from flaring recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 2.47 billion tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions from flaring recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.12 million tonnes in 1950.
- How does United States rank for cumulative co₂ emissions from flaring?
- United States ranks 1st out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions from flaring rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States 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 from flaring. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from flaring since the first year of available data, measured in tonnes.