Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal in China
China: Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal was 6.26 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
6.26 tonnes per person
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
5th
of 179 countries
All-time high
6.26 tonnes per person
in 2024
All-time low
0.0399 tonnes per person
in 1912
Years of data
118
1907–2024
Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal in China, 1907–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
China recorded 6.26 tonnes per person for per capita co₂ emissions from coal in 2024. That is the highest value across all 118 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and up 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions from coal in China peaked at 6.26 tonnes per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.0399 tonnes per person, in 1912.
That places China 5th out of 179 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1907 | 0.0484 tonnes per person | — |
| 1908 | 0.055 tonnes per person | +13.7% |
| 1909 | 0.0583 tonnes per person | +6.0% |
| 1910 | 0.0597 tonnes per person | +2.3% |
| 1911 | 0.0583 tonnes per person | -2.4% |
| 1912 | 0.0399 tonnes per person | -31.5% |
| 1913 | 0.0562 tonnes per person | +40.9% |
| 1914 | 0.0613 tonnes per person | +9.0% |
| 1915 | 0.0577 tonnes per person | -5.9% |
| 1916 | 0.0676 tonnes per person | +17.3% |
| 1917 | 0.0711 tonnes per person | +5.1% |
| 1918 | 0.0763 tonnes per person | +7.3% |
| 1919 | 0.0827 tonnes per person | +8.3% |
| 1920 | 0.0869 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 1921 | 0.0831 tonnes per person | -4.4% |
| 1922 | 0.0853 tonnes per person | +2.6% |
| 1923 | 0.0989 tonnes per person | +16.0% |
| 1924 | 0.1035 tonnes per person | +4.6% |
| 1925 | 0.097 tonnes per person | -6.3% |
| 1926 | 0.0918 tonnes per person | -5.3% |
| 1927 | 0.096 tonnes per person | +4.5% |
| 1928 | 0.0993 tonnes per person | +3.4% |
| 1929 | 0.1003 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 1930 | 0.1022 tonnes per person | +1.9% |
| 1931 | 0.1064 tonnes per person | +4.1% |
| 1932 | 0.1024 tonnes per person | -3.7% |
| 1933 | 0.1095 tonnes per person | +6.9% |
| 1934 | 0.1256 tonnes per person | +14.7% |
| 1935 | 0.1451 tonnes per person | +15.5% |
| 1936 | 0.1492 tonnes per person | +2.8% |
| 1937 | 0.1392 tonnes per person | -6.7% |
| 1938 | 0.1197 tonnes per person | -14.0% |
| 1939 | 0.1436 tonnes per person | +20.0% |
| 1940 | 0.1735 tonnes per person | +20.8% |
| 1941 | 0.2168 tonnes per person | +24.9% |
| 1942 | 0.2408 tonnes per person | +11.1% |
| 1943 | 0.2067 tonnes per person | -14.2% |
| 1944 | 0.1951 tonnes per person | -5.6% |
| 1945 | 0.1054 tonnes per person | -46.0% |
| 1946 | 0.0678 tonnes per person | -35.6% |
| 1947 | 0.0782 tonnes per person | +15.3% |
| 1948 | 0.0714 tonnes per person | -8.7% |
| 1949 | 0.1142 tonnes per person | +60.0% |
| 1950 | 0.1427 tonnes per person | +24.9% |
| 1951 | 0.1808 tonnes per person | +26.8% |
| 1952 | 0.222 tonnes per person | +22.8% |
| 1953 | 0.2255 tonnes per person | +1.6% |
| 1954 | 0.2637 tonnes per person | +16.9% |
| 1955 | 0.3035 tonnes per person | +15.1% |
| 1956 | 0.3325 tonnes per person | +9.6% |
| 1957 | 0.3868 tonnes per person | +16.3% |
| 1958 | 0.7888 tonnes per person | +103.9% |
| 1959 | 1.07 tonnes per person | +35.1% |
| 1960 | 1.14 tonnes per person | +7.3% |
| 1961 | 0.7967 tonnes per person | -30.3% |
| 1962 | 0.6194 tonnes per person | -22.3% |
| 1963 | 0.5933 tonnes per person | -4.2% |
| 1964 | 0.5698 tonnes per person | -4.0% |
| 1965 | 0.5986 tonnes per person | +5.0% |
| 1966 | 0.6328 tonnes per person | +5.7% |
| 1967 | 0.5041 tonnes per person | -20.3% |
| 1968 | 0.5285 tonnes per person | +4.8% |
| 1969 | 0.6248 tonnes per person | +18.2% |
| 1970 | 0.8088 tonnes per person | +29.4% |
| 1971 | 0.8725 tonnes per person | +7.9% |
| 1972 | 0.8924 tonnes per person | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 0.888 tonnes per person | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 0.8621 tonnes per person | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 0.9897 tonnes per person | +14.8% |
| 1976 | 0.9785 tonnes per person | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 1.06 tonnes per person | +8.2% |
| 1978 | 1.17 tonnes per person | +10.4% |
| 1979 | 1.18 tonnes per person | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 1.14 tonnes per person | -3.5% |
| 1981 | 1.13 tonnes per person | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 1.23 tonnes per person | +9.3% |
| 1983 | 1.28 tonnes per person | +4.2% |
| 1984 | 1.39 tonnes per person | +8.5% |
| 1985 | 1.49 tonnes per person | +7.3% |
| 1986 | 1.54 tonnes per person | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 1.61 tonnes per person | +5.0% |
| 1988 | 1.7 tonnes per person | +5.1% |
| 1989 | 1.69 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 1.71 tonnes per person | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 1.75 tonnes per person | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 1.79 tonnes per person | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 1.86 tonnes per person | +4.3% |
| 1994 | 1.97 tonnes per person | +5.8% |
| 1995 | 2.11 tonnes per person | +7.0% |
| 1996 | 2.16 tonnes per person | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 2.1 tonnes per person | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 1.95 tonnes per person | -7.0% |
| 1999 | 2.05 tonnes per person | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 2.05 tonnes per person | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 2.06 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 2.35 tonnes per person | +13.7% |
| 2003 | 2.78 tonnes per person | +18.6% |
| 2004 | 2.95 tonnes per person | +5.9% |
| 2005 | 3.38 tonnes per person | +14.7% |
| 2006 | 3.72 tonnes per person | +10.2% |
| 2007 | 3.99 tonnes per person | +7.2% |
| 2008 | 4.3 tonnes per person | +7.7% |
| 2009 | 4.49 tonnes per person | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 4.86 tonnes per person | +8.2% |
| 2011 | 5.37 tonnes per person | +10.6% |
| 2012 | 5.45 tonnes per person | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 5.43 tonnes per person | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 5.35 tonnes per person | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 5.2 tonnes per person | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 5.04 tonnes per person | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 5.07 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 5.16 tonnes per person | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 5.28 tonnes per person | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 5.38 tonnes per person | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 5.61 tonnes per person | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 5.94 tonnes per person | +5.9% |
| 2023 | 6.14 tonnes per person | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 6.26 tonnes per person | +1.9% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 6.26 tonnes per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1968 tonnes per person, 31.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- China's 6.26 tonnes per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.53 tonnes per person, 4.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | +103.9% | 0.3868 tonnes per person | 0.7888 tonnes per person |
| 1949 | +60.0% | 0.0714 tonnes per person | 0.1142 tonnes per person |
| 1945 | -46.0% | 0.1951 tonnes per person | 0.1054 tonnes per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0539 tonnes per person | 0.0484 tonnes per person | 0.0583 tonnes per person | 3 |
| 1910s | 0.0631 tonnes per person | 0.0399 tonnes per person | 0.0827 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.0942 tonnes per person | 0.0831 tonnes per person | 0.1035 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.1243 tonnes per person | 0.1022 tonnes per person | 0.1492 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.147 tonnes per person | 0.0678 tonnes per person | 0.2408 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.3912 tonnes per person | 0.1427 tonnes per person | 1.07 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.6611 tonnes per person | 0.5041 tonnes per person | 1.14 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.9703 tonnes per person | 0.8088 tonnes per person | 1.18 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.42 tonnes per person | 1.13 tonnes per person | 1.7 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.95 tonnes per person | 1.71 tonnes per person | 2.16 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.21 tonnes per person | 2.05 tonnes per person | 4.49 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.22 tonnes per person | 4.86 tonnes per person | 5.45 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.87 tonnes per person | 5.38 tonnes per person | 6.26 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 2 New Caledonia 9.71 tonnes per person compare
- 3 Kazakhstan 7.78 tonnes per person compare
- 4 Brunei 6.49 tonnes per person compare
- 6 Taiwan 6.08 tonnes per person compare
- 7 South Africa 5.8 tonnes per person compare
- 8 Australia 5.34 tonnes per person 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 per capita co₂ emissions from coal in China?
- Per capita co₂ emissions from coal in China was 6.26 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita co₂ emissions from coal recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 6.26 tonnes per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions from coal recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0399 tonnes per person in 1912.
- How does China rank for per capita co₂ emissions from coal?
- China ranks 5th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions from coal rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.0%. 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); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 118 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured in tonnes per person.