Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in China
China: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 144.29 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in China, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
China recorded 144.29 million tonnes for greenhouse gas emissions by sector in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 29.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in China peaked at 209.58 million tonnes in 2015 and was at its lowest, 92.55 million tonnes, in 1996.
That places China 1st out of 176 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 145.32 million tonnes | 92.55 million tonnes | 160.83 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 143.28 million tonnes | 98.85 million tonnes | 171.45 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 192.64 million tonnes | 165.04 million tonnes | 209.58 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 151.32 million tonnes | 144.29 million tonnes | 164.37 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More climate change data for China
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 6.2% (2100)
- Population growth -0.2% (2025)
- Population, total 1.41 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population 933.17 million (2025)
- Urban population 66.3% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 285.09 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions by sector in China?
- Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in China was 144.29 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 209.58 million tonnes in 2015.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 92.55 million tonnes in 1996.
- How does China rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- China ranks 1st out of 176 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Greenhouse gas emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents.