Methane emissions from agriculture in China
China: Methane emissions from agriculture was 396.71 million tonnes in 2023. ▬ Flat
Methane emissions from agriculture in China, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
China recorded 396.71 million tonnes for methane emissions from agriculture in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions from agriculture in China peaked at 433.19 million tonnes in 1996 and was at its lowest, 364.43 million tonnes, in 2019.
That places China 3rd out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 397.38 million tonnes | 377.36 million tonnes | 433.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 396.91 million tonnes | 385.80 million tonnes | 417.64 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 379.32 million tonnes | 364.43 million tonnes | 388.68 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 391.44 million tonnes | 381.84 million tonnes | 396.71 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 methane emissions from agriculture in China?
- Methane emissions from agriculture in China was 396.71 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest methane emissions from agriculture recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 433.19 million tonnes in 1996.
- What is the lowest methane emissions from agriculture recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 364.43 million tonnes in 2019.
- How does China rank for methane emissions from agriculture?
- China ranks 3rd out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is methane emissions from agriculture rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 Methane emissions from agriculture. 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.