Methane emissions, per square kilometre in China
China: Methane emissions, per square kilometre was 169.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
169.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
44th
of 195 countries
All-time high
169.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre
in 2024
All-time low
48.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre
in 1962
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Methane emissions, per square kilometre in China, 1961–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre.
Analysis
China recorded 169.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre for methane emissions, per square kilometre in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 18.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions, per square kilometre in China peaked at 169.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre in 2024 and was at its lowest, 48.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre, in 1962.
That places China 44th out of 195 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Methane emissions, per square kilometre in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 50.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 48.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | -3.8% |
| 1963 | 49.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 51.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1965 | 52.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1966 | 55.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1967 | 54.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 55.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 57.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1970 | 62.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +8.3% |
| 1971 | 64.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1972 | 66.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 66.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 67.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 70.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1976 | 71.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 72.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 74.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 75.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 75.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 75.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 76.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 78.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 81.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 82.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 83.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 85.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 87.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 90.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 92.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 92.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 93.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 93.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 95.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 101.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1996 | 103.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 98.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 99.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 99.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 101.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 101.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 102.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 107.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 113.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 119.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 2006 | 123.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 125.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 126.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 127.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 132.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 140.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 2012 | 140.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 141.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 142.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 142.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 138.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 140.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 144.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 146.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 149.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 154.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 161.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 164.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 169.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | +3.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 169.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 82.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre, 2.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 169.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 91.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre, 1.8× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 52.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 48.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 57.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 69.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 62.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 75.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 81.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 75.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 90.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 97.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 92.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 103.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 114.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 101.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 127.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 141.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 132.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 146.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 159.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 149.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 169.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 41 United Kingdom 181.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre compare
- 42 Sri Lanka 179.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre compare
- 43 Guatemala 171.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre compare
- 45 Seychelles 165.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre compare
- 46 Andorra 164.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre compare
- 47 Czechia 163.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre compare
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, per square kilometre in China?
- Methane emissions, per square kilometre in China was 169.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest methane emissions, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 169.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre in 2024.
- What is the lowest methane emissions, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per square kilometre in 1962.
- How does China rank for methane emissions, per square kilometre?
- China ranks 44th out of 195 countries with data for 2024.
- Is methane emissions, per square kilometre rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Methane emissions, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Methane emissions divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Methane emissions ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Methane emissions Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Methane emissions divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.