Per capita CO₂ emissions by fuel type in China
China: Per capita CO₂ emissions by fuel type was 1.2 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.2 tonnes per person
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
123rd
of 213 countries
All-time high
1.22 tonnes per person
in 2023
All-time low
0 tonnes per person
in 1907
Years of data
118
1907–2024
Per capita CO₂ emissions by fuel type 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
In 2024, per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type in China stood at 1.2 tonnes per person.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 32.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type in China peaked at 1.22 tonnes per person in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes per person, in 1907.
China ranks 123rd of 213 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Per capita CO₂ emissions by fuel type in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1907 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1908 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1909 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1910 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1911 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1912 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1913 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1914 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1915 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1916 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1917 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1918 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1919 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1920 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1921 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1922 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1923 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1924 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1925 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1926 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1927 | 0 tonnes per person | +49.5% |
| 1928 | 0 tonnes per person | -0.4% |
| 1929 | 0 tonnes per person | -0.4% |
| 1930 | 0.0003 tonnes per person | +1293.7% |
| 1931 | 0.0004 tonnes per person | +20.8% |
| 1932 | 0.0004 tonnes per person | +15.1% |
| 1933 | 0.0005 tonnes per person | +23.0% |
| 1934 | 0.0006 tonnes per person | +4.9% |
| 1935 | 0.0009 tonnes per person | +52.4% |
| 1936 | 0.001 tonnes per person | +17.1% |
| 1937 | 0.0012 tonnes per person | +15.9% |
| 1938 | 0.0017 tonnes per person | +39.9% |
| 1939 | 0.0023 tonnes per person | +40.4% |
| 1940 | 0.0035 tonnes per person | +51.3% |
| 1941 | 0.004 tonnes per person | +12.6% |
| 1942 | 0.0048 tonnes per person | +22.6% |
| 1943 | 0.0018 tonnes per person | -62.2% |
| 1944 | 0.0012 tonnes per person | -35.7% |
| 1945 | 0.001 tonnes per person | -13.0% |
| 1946 | 0.0004 tonnes per person | -60.1% |
| 1947 | 0.0003 tonnes per person | -25.8% |
| 1948 | 0.0004 tonnes per person | +37.9% |
| 1949 | 0.0007 tonnes per person | +60.9% |
| 1950 | 0.0011 tonnes per person | +68.8% |
| 1951 | 0.0017 tonnes per person | +48.8% |
| 1952 | 0.0024 tonnes per person | +39.7% |
| 1953 | 0.0033 tonnes per person | +39.7% |
| 1954 | 0.0057 tonnes per person | +71.3% |
| 1955 | 0.009 tonnes per person | +58.6% |
| 1956 | 0.0131 tonnes per person | +46.2% |
| 1957 | 0.0143 tonnes per person | +8.6% |
| 1958 | 0.0192 tonnes per person | +34.5% |
| 1959 | 0.0292 tonnes per person | +52.1% |
| 1960 | 0.0351 tonnes per person | +20.3% |
| 1961 | 0.0341 tonnes per person | -3.0% |
| 1962 | 0.0327 tonnes per person | -3.9% |
| 1963 | 0.034 tonnes per person | +3.9% |
| 1964 | 0.0393 tonnes per person | +15.7% |
| 1965 | 0.0484 tonnes per person | +23.0% |
| 1966 | 0.06 tonnes per person | +24.0% |
| 1967 | 0.0558 tonnes per person | -6.9% |
| 1968 | 0.0623 tonnes per person | +11.5% |
| 1969 | 0.0833 tonnes per person | +33.8% |
| 1970 | 0.115 tonnes per person | +37.9% |
| 1971 | 0.1423 tonnes per person | +23.8% |
| 1972 | 0.1602 tonnes per person | +12.6% |
| 1973 | 0.1799 tonnes per person | +12.4% |
| 1974 | 0.2028 tonnes per person | +12.7% |
| 1975 | 0.2229 tonnes per person | +9.9% |
| 1976 | 0.2569 tonnes per person | +15.2% |
| 1977 | 0.2729 tonnes per person | +6.2% |
| 1978 | 0.2949 tonnes per person | +8.1% |
| 1979 | 0.2872 tonnes per person | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 0.2779 tonnes per person | -3.3% |
| 1981 | 0.257 tonnes per person | -7.5% |
| 1982 | 0.2544 tonnes per person | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 0.2563 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 0.26 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 0.2685 tonnes per person | +3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.2813 tonnes per person | +4.8% |
| 1987 | 0.2933 tonnes per person | +4.3% |
| 1988 | 0.3077 tonnes per person | +4.9% |
| 1989 | 0.3126 tonnes per person | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 0.2863 tonnes per person | -8.4% |
| 1991 | 0.3041 tonnes per person | +6.2% |
| 1992 | 0.3257 tonnes per person | +7.1% |
| 1993 | 0.3579 tonnes per person | +9.9% |
| 1994 | 0.3505 tonnes per person | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 0.3838 tonnes per person | +9.5% |
| 1996 | 0.4148 tonnes per person | +8.1% |
| 1997 | 0.4496 tonnes per person | +8.4% |
| 1998 | 0.4471 tonnes per person | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 0.4735 tonnes per person | +5.9% |
| 2000 | 0.5109 tonnes per person | +7.9% |
| 2001 | 0.5156 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 0.5075 tonnes per person | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 0.5617 tonnes per person | +10.7% |
| 2004 | 0.6444 tonnes per person | +14.7% |
| 2005 | 0.649 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 0.6817 tonnes per person | +5.0% |
| 2007 | 0.6995 tonnes per person | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 0.7273 tonnes per person | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 0.7317 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 0.8084 tonnes per person | +10.5% |
| 2011 | 0.8262 tonnes per person | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 0.8592 tonnes per person | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 0.8953 tonnes per person | +4.2% |
| 2014 | 0.9046 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 0.9518 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 0.9671 tonnes per person | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 1.01 tonnes per person | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 1.06 tonnes per person | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 1.1 tonnes per person | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 1.07 tonnes per person | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 1.07 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 1.09 tonnes per person | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 1.22 tonnes per person | +11.1% |
| 2024 | 1.2 tonnes per person | -1.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1.2 tonnes per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.51 tonnes per person, 80% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 1.2 tonnes per person is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.36 tonnes per person, 88% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita CO₂ emissions by fuel type 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | +1293.7% | 0 tonnes per person | 0.0003 tonnes per person |
| 1943 | -62.2% | 0.0048 tonnes per person | 0.0018 tonnes per person |
| 1946 | -60.1% | 0.001 tonnes per person | 0.0004 tonnes per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 3 |
| 1910s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.0009 tonnes per person | 0.0003 tonnes per person | 0.0023 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.0018 tonnes per person | 0.0003 tonnes per person | 0.0048 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.0099 tonnes per person | 0.0011 tonnes per person | 0.0292 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.0485 tonnes per person | 0.0327 tonnes per person | 0.0833 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2135 tonnes per person | 0.115 tonnes per person | 0.2949 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2769 tonnes per person | 0.2544 tonnes per person | 0.3126 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3793 tonnes per person | 0.2863 tonnes per person | 0.4735 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6229 tonnes per person | 0.5075 tonnes per person | 0.7317 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9379 tonnes per person | 0.8084 tonnes per person | 1.1 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.13 tonnes per person | 1.07 tonnes per person | 1.22 tonnes per person | 5 |
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 per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type in China?
- Per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type in China was 1.2 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 by fuel type recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.22 tonnes per person in 2023.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes per person in 1907.
- How does China rank for per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type?
- China ranks 123rd out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.8%. 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 by fuel type. 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 oil, measured in tonnes per person.