Cumulative CO₂ emissions by source in China
China: Cumulative CO₂ emissions by source was 5.52 billion tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
5.52 billion tonnes
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
1st
of 46 countries
All-time high
5.52 billion tonnes
in 2024
All-time low
18.93 million tonnes
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Cumulative CO₂ emissions by source in China, 1960–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
China recorded 5.52 billion tonnes for cumulative co₂ emissions by source in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 49.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions by source in China peaked at 5.52 billion tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 18.93 million tonnes, in 1960.
China ranks 1st of 46 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions by source in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 18.93 million tonnes | — |
| 1961 | 39.34 million tonnes | +107.9% |
| 1962 | 60.45 million tonnes | +53.7% |
| 1963 | 82.52 million tonnes | +36.5% |
| 1964 | 106.79 million tonnes | +29.4% |
| 1965 | 130.17 million tonnes | +21.9% |
| 1966 | 154.37 million tonnes | +18.6% |
| 1967 | 179.61 million tonnes | +16.4% |
| 1968 | 205.81 million tonnes | +14.6% |
| 1969 | 234.09 million tonnes | +13.7% |
| 1970 | 265.31 million tonnes | +13.3% |
| 1971 | 296.92 million tonnes | +11.9% |
| 1972 | 331.49 million tonnes | +11.6% |
| 1973 | 369.04 million tonnes | +11.3% |
| 1974 | 407.05 million tonnes | +10.3% |
| 1975 | 441.45 million tonnes | +8.5% |
| 1976 | 477.97 million tonnes | +8.3% |
| 1977 | 514.39 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1978 | 551.89 million tonnes | +7.3% |
| 1979 | 590.42 million tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1980 | 626.01 million tonnes | +6.0% |
| 1981 | 660.14 million tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1982 | 695.76 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1983 | 734.13 million tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1984 | 775.80 million tonnes | +5.7% |
| 1985 | 820.66 million tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1986 | 870.70 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1987 | 934.62 million tonnes | +7.3% |
| 1988 | 1.01 billion tonnes | +8.3% |
| 1989 | 1.09 billion tonnes | +7.4% |
| 1990 | 1.15 billion tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1991 | 1.23 billion tonnes | +7.2% |
| 1992 | 1.32 billion tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1993 | 1.40 billion tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1994 | 1.48 billion tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1995 | 1.56 billion tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1996 | 1.65 billion tonnes | +5.7% |
| 1997 | 1.75 billion tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1998 | 1.84 billion tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1999 | 1.93 billion tonnes | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 2.02 billion tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2001 | 2.10 billion tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 2.19 billion tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 2.29 billion tonnes | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 2.38 billion tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 2.49 billion tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 2.60 billion tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 2.72 billion tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 2.84 billion tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 2.97 billion tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 3.08 billion tonnes | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 3.22 billion tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 3.37 billion tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 3.52 billion tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2014 | 3.68 billion tonnes | +4.7% |
| 2015 | 3.86 billion tonnes | +4.7% |
| 2016 | 4.02 billion tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2017 | 4.20 billion tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2018 | 4.40 billion tonnes | +4.7% |
| 2019 | 4.59 billion tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2020 | 4.77 billion tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2021 | 4.96 billion tonnes | +3.9% |
| 2022 | 5.14 billion tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2023 | 5.33 billion tonnes | +3.6% |
| 2024 | 5.52 billion tonnes | +3.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 5.52 billion tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 243.01 million tonnes, 22.7× the median. (5 countries reporting)
- China's 5.52 billion tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 139.90 million tonnes, 39.4× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cumulative CO₂ emissions by source in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | +107.9% | 18.93 million tonnes | 39.34 million tonnes |
| 1962 | +53.7% | 39.34 million tonnes | 60.45 million tonnes |
| 1963 | +36.5% | 60.45 million tonnes | 82.52 million tonnes |
| 1964 | +29.4% | 82.52 million tonnes | 106.79 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 121.21 million tonnes | 18.93 million tonnes | 234.09 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 424.59 million tonnes | 265.31 million tonnes | 590.42 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 821.79 million tonnes | 626.01 million tonnes | 1.09 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.53 billion tonnes | 1.15 billion tonnes | 1.93 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.46 billion tonnes | 2.02 billion tonnes | 2.97 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.79 billion tonnes | 3.08 billion tonnes | 4.59 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.14 billion tonnes | 4.77 billion tonnes | 5.52 billion tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
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 by source in China?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions by source in China was 5.52 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 by source recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 5.52 billion tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions by source recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.93 million tonnes in 1960.
- How does China rank for cumulative co₂ emissions by source?
- China ranks 1st out of 46 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions by source rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 49.7%. 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 by source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from other industry sources since the first year of available data, measured in tonnes.