Per capita GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ emissions in China
China: Per capita GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ emissions was 9.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
9.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
24th
of 197 countries
All-time high
9.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 2024
All-time low
0.2481 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1852
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ emissions in China, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person.
Analysis
China recorded 9.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person for per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions in 2024. That is the highest value across all 175 years on record.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 20.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions in China peaked at 9.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.2481 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1852.
That places China 24th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Per capita GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ emissions in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 0.2489 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 0.2483 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1852 | 0.2481 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1853 | 0.2484 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1854 | 0.2487 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1855 | 0.2489 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1856 | 0.2491 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1857 | 0.2494 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1858 | 0.2496 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1859 | 0.2496 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1860 | 0.2494 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1861 | 0.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1862 | 0.2504 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1863 | 0.2506 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1864 | 0.2508 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1865 | 0.251 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1866 | 0.2512 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1867 | 0.2514 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1868 | 0.2516 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1869 | 0.2514 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1870 | 0.2508 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1871 | 0.2517 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1872 | 0.2523 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1873 | 0.2525 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1874 | 0.2528 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1875 | 0.2531 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1876 | 0.2533 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1877 | 0.2536 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1878 | 0.2538 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1879 | 0.254 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1880 | 0.2541 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1881 | 0.2543 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1882 | 0.2544 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1883 | 0.2545 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1884 | 0.2546 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 0.2547 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1886 | 0.2549 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1887 | 0.2549 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1888 | 0.255 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1889 | 0.255 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1890 | 0.2551 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1891 | 0.2554 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1892 | 0.2556 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1893 | 0.2557 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1894 | 0.2558 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1895 | 0.2559 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1896 | 0.256 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1897 | 0.2561 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1898 | 0.2562 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1899 | 0.2564 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 0.2564 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1901 | 0.2565 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1902 | 0.2567 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1903 | 0.2576 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1904 | 0.2578 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1905 | 0.258 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1906 | 0.2648 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1907 | 0.3131 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +18.3% |
| 1908 | 0.3224 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.0% |
| 1909 | 0.3246 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1910 | 0.3245 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1911 | 0.3276 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1912 | 0.3017 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.9% |
| 1913 | 0.3184 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.5% |
| 1914 | 0.3252 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.1% |
| 1915 | 0.3219 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1916 | 0.3325 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1917 | 0.3366 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1918 | 0.3421 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1919 | 0.3499 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1920 | 0.3557 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1921 | 0.3506 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 1922 | 0.3529 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1923 | 0.3686 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.5% |
| 1924 | 0.3744 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1925 | 0.3671 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 1926 | 0.3605 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1927 | 0.3662 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1928 | 0.3697 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1929 | 0.3712 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1930 | 0.3739 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1931 | 0.3795 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1932 | 0.3752 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 1933 | 0.384 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1934 | 0.4026 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1935 | 0.4255 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.7% |
| 1936 | 0.4328 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1937 | 0.4212 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.7% |
| 1938 | 0.3995 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.1% |
| 1939 | 0.4286 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.3% |
| 1940 | 0.4665 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.8% |
| 1941 | 0.5188 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.2% |
| 1942 | 0.5468 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.4% |
| 1943 | 0.5048 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.7% |
| 1944 | 0.4935 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.3% |
| 1945 | 0.3851 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -22.0% |
| 1946 | 0.3393 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -11.9% |
| 1947 | 0.3496 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.0% |
| 1948 | 0.3385 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 1949 | 0.3919 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.8% |
| 1950 | 0.4247 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.4% |
| 1951 | 0.4719 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.1% |
| 1952 | 0.5214 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.5% |
| 1953 | 0.5269 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1954 | 0.5748 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.1% |
| 1955 | 0.6247 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.7% |
| 1956 | 0.6641 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.3% |
| 1957 | 0.729 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.8% |
| 1958 | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +65.7% |
| 1959 | 1.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +28.0% |
| 1960 | 1.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.5% |
| 1961 | 1.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -24.4% |
| 1962 | 1.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -16.6% |
| 1963 | 1.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1964 | 1.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 1965 | 1.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1966 | 1.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.1% |
| 1967 | 0.9413 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -14.5% |
| 1968 | 0.9745 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.5% |
| 1969 | 1.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +14.3% |
| 1970 | 1.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +23.5% |
| 1971 | 1.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.5% |
| 1972 | 1.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1973 | 1.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 1.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 1.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.2% |
| 1976 | 1.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.4% |
| 1978 | 2.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.8% |
| 1979 | 2.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 1.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 1.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.5% |
| 1982 | 2.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.7% |
| 1983 | 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 2.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.5% |
| 1985 | 2.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.3% |
| 1986 | 2.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 2.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.5% |
| 1988 | 2.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.8% |
| 1989 | 2.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 2.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 2.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 2.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 2.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 3.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.6% |
| 1995 | 3.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.0% |
| 1996 | 3.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 3.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 3.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.8% |
| 1999 | 3.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 3.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 3.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 3.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.3% |
| 2003 | 4.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +16.2% |
| 2004 | 4.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.2% |
| 2005 | 5.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.5% |
| 2006 | 5.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.1% |
| 2007 | 5.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.4% |
| 2008 | 6.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 6.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 7.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.1% |
| 2011 | 7.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.8% |
| 2012 | 7.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 8.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 7.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 7.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 7.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 7.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 8.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 8.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 8.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 8.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 9.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 9.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 2024 | 9.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 9.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 2.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- China's 9.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 2.7× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ emissions 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 | +65.7% | 0.729 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1959 | +28.0% | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0.2489 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.2481 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.2496 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.2508 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.2494 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.2516 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.2528 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.2508 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.254 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.2547 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.2541 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.255 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.2558 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.2551 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.2564 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.2768 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.2564 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.3246 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.328 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.3017 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.3499 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.3637 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.3506 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.3744 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.4023 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.3739 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.4328 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.4335 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.3385 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.5468 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.7292 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.4247 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.9413 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 21 Singapore 10.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 22 Iceland 10.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 23 Iran 10.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 25 Malaysia 8.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 26 Aruba 8.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 27 Guyana 8.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents 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 ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions in China?
- Per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions in China was 9.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 9.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2481 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1852.
- How does China rank for per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions?
- China ranks 24th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes per person of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.