Methane emissions by sector in China
China: Methane emissions by sector was 360,000 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Methane 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 360,000 tonnes for methane emissions by sector in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 140.0% on the previous year and up 56.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions by sector in China peaked at 1.11 million tonnes in 2000 and was at its lowest, 140,000 tonnes, in 2017.
That places China 26th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Methane emissions by sector in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 460,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 460,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 460,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 460,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 460,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 460,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 860,000 tonnes | +87.0% |
| 1997 | 910,000 tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1998 | 1.09 million tonnes | +19.8% |
| 1999 | 990,000 tonnes | -9.2% |
| 2000 | 1.11 million tonnes | +12.1% |
| 2001 | 350,000 tonnes | -68.5% |
| 2002 | 190,000 tonnes | -45.7% |
| 2003 | 640,000 tonnes | +236.8% |
| 2004 | 560,000 tonnes | -12.5% |
| 2005 | 330,000 tonnes | -41.1% |
| 2006 | 240,000 tonnes | -27.3% |
| 2007 | 350,000 tonnes | +45.8% |
| 2008 | 950,000 tonnes | +171.4% |
| 2009 | 420,000 tonnes | -55.8% |
| 2010 | 480,000 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 2011 | 290,000 tonnes | -39.6% |
| 2012 | 220,000 tonnes | -24.1% |
| 2013 | 230,000 tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 430,000 tonnes | +87.0% |
| 2015 | 250,000 tonnes | -41.9% |
| 2016 | 280,000 tonnes | +12.0% |
| 2017 | 140,000 tonnes | -50.0% |
| 2018 | 300,000 tonnes | +114.3% |
| 2019 | 310,000 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 330,000 tonnes | +6.5% |
| 2021 | 250,000 tonnes | -24.2% |
| 2022 | 150,000 tonnes | -40.0% |
| 2023 | 360,000 tonnes | +140.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Methane emissions by sector 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +236.8% | 190,000 tonnes | 640,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 661,000 tonnes | 460,000 tonnes | 1.09 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 514,000 tonnes | 190,000 tonnes | 1.11 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 293,000 tonnes | 140,000 tonnes | 480,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 272,500 tonnes | 150,000 tonnes | 360,000 tonnes | 4 |
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 methane emissions by sector in China?
- Methane emissions by sector in China was 360,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest methane emissions by sector recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.11 million tonnes in 2000.
- What is the lowest methane emissions by sector recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 140,000 tonnes in 2017.
- How does China rank for methane emissions by sector?
- China ranks 26th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is methane emissions by sector rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 56.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 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.