Per capita CO₂ emissions by fuel type in United States
United States: Per capita CO₂ emissions by fuel type was 6.34 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
6.34 tonnes per person
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
20th
of 213 countries
All-time high
11.1 tonnes per person
in 1978
All-time low
0 tonnes per person
in 1800
Years of data
225
1800–2024
Per capita CO₂ emissions by fuel type 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 6.34 tonnes per person for per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type in 2024.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type in United States peaked at 11.1 tonnes per person in 1978 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes per person, in 1800.
That places United States 20th out of 213 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1810s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1820s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1830s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1840s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1850s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.0316 tonnes per person | 0.0064 tonnes per person | 0.0442 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.0901 tonnes per person | 0.0495 tonnes per person | 0.1613 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.1907 tonnes per person | 0.146 tonnes per person | 0.2296 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.307 tonnes per person | 0.2832 tonnes per person | 0.343 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.59 tonnes per person | 0.3294 tonnes per person | 0.8262 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.26 tonnes per person | 0.931 tonnes per person | 1.75 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 3 tonnes per person | 2.22 tonnes per person | 3.77 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 3.38 tonnes per person | 2.77 tonnes per person | 4.07 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 5.05 tonnes per person | 4.27 tonnes per person | 6.07 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 6.64 tonnes per person | 5.82 tonnes per person | 7.13 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 7.58 tonnes per person | 7.07 tonnes per person | 8.68 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.4 tonnes per person | 9.81 tonnes per person | 11.1 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.52 tonnes per person | 8.09 tonnes per person | 9.6 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.28 tonnes per person | 8.11 tonnes per person | 8.52 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.4 tonnes per person | 7.28 tonnes per person | 8.78 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.89 tonnes per person | 6.79 tonnes per person | 7.26 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.29 tonnes per person | 5.87 tonnes per person | 6.44 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 17 Antigua and Barbuda 7.09 tonnes per person compare
- 18 Iceland 6.98 tonnes per person compare
- 19 Qatar 6.35 tonnes per person compare
- 21 Canada 6.15 tonnes per person compare
- 22 Montserrat 6.02 tonnes per person compare
- 23 United Arab Emirates 5.95 tonnes per person compare
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 by fuel type in United States?
- Per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type in United States was 6.34 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 11.1 tonnes per person in 1978.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes per person in 1800.
- How does United States rank for per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type?
- United States ranks 20th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions by fuel type rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. 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 by fuel type. 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 oil, measured in tonnes per person.