Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal in United States
United States: Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal was 2.12 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
2.12 tonnes per person
Change on year
down 3.9%
World rank
23rd
of 179 countries
All-time high
15.36 tonnes per person
in 1918
All-time low
0.0421 tonnes per person
in 1800
Years of data
225
1800–2024
Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal in United States, 1800–2024
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
United States recorded 2.12 tonnes per person for per capita co₂ emissions from coal in 2024.
The figure is down 3.9% on the previous year and down 59.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions from coal in United States peaked at 15.36 tonnes per person in 1918 and was at its lowest, 0.0421 tonnes per person, in 1800.
United States ranks 23rd of 179 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 0.05 tonnes per person | 0.0421 tonnes per person | 0.0567 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1810s | 0.07 tonnes per person | 0.0572 tonnes per person | 0.0833 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1820s | 0.1011 tonnes per person | 0.0794 tonnes per person | 0.1394 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1830s | 0.2559 tonnes per person | 0.1577 tonnes per person | 0.3301 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.5342 tonnes per person | 0.3359 tonnes per person | 0.7957 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1850s | 1.24 tonnes per person | 0.8387 tonnes per person | 1.47 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 1.71 tonnes per person | 1.38 tonnes per person | 2.36 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 2.92 tonnes per person | 2.42 tonnes per person | 3.44 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 4.65 tonnes per person | 3.78 tonnes per person | 5.82 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 6.62 tonnes per person | 5.96 tonnes per person | 8.07 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 10.6 tonnes per person | 8.37 tonnes per person | 13.05 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 13.34 tonnes per person | 12.27 tonnes per person | 15.36 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 12.15 tonnes per person | 10.41 tonnes per person | 14.11 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 8.19 tonnes per person | 6.85 tonnes per person | 10.35 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 9.92 tonnes per person | 7.28 tonnes per person | 11.35 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 6.36 tonnes per person | 5.1 tonnes per person | 8.15 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.38 tonnes per person | 4.84 tonnes per person | 5.79 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.6 tonnes per person | 5.26 tonnes per person | 6.15 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.5 tonnes per person | 5.99 tonnes per person | 7 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.08 tonnes per person | 6.86 tonnes per person | 7.31 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.06 tonnes per person | 5.98 tonnes per person | 7.54 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.67 tonnes per person | 3.09 tonnes per person | 6.26 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.48 tonnes per person | 2.12 tonnes per person | 2.88 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More climate change data for United States
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 4.1% (2100)
- Population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Population, total 341.79 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.6% (2025)
- Urban population 274.08 million (2025)
- Urban population 80.2% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 434.87 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita co₂ emissions from coal in United States?
- Per capita co₂ emissions from coal in United States was 2.12 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 15.36 tonnes per person in 1918.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions from coal recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0421 tonnes per person in 1800.
- How does United States rank for per capita co₂ emissions from coal?
- United States ranks 23rd out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions from coal rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States 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 — 225 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.