Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in India
India: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions was 2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
142nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 2024
All-time low
1.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1868
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in India, 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
India recorded 2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person for per capita greenhouse gas emissions in 2024. That is the highest value across all 175 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 19.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in India peaked at 2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1868.
That places India 142nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in India, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 1.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.3% |
| 1852 | 1.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.2% |
| 1853 | 1.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.6% |
| 1854 | 1.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1855 | 1.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1856 | 1.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1857 | 1.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1858 | 1.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1859 | 1.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1860 | 1.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1861 | 1.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1862 | 1.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1863 | 1.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1864 | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1865 | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1866 | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1867 | 1.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1868 | 1.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1869 | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1870 | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1871 | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1872 | 1.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1873 | 1.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1874 | 1.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1875 | 1.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1876 | 1.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1877 | 1.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1878 | 1.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1879 | 1.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1880 | 1.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1881 | 1.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1882 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1883 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1884 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1885 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1886 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1887 | 1.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1888 | 1.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1889 | 1.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1890 | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1891 | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1892 | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1893 | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1894 | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1895 | 1.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1896 | 1.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1897 | 1.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1898 | 1.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1899 | 1.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1900 | 1.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1901 | 1.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1902 | 1.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1903 | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1904 | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1905 | 1.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1906 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1907 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1908 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 1.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1910 | 1.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1912 | 1.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1913 | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1914 | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1915 | 1.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1916 | 1.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1917 | 1.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1918 | 1.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1919 | 1.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1920 | 1.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.7% |
| 1921 | 1.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.5% |
| 1922 | 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1923 | 1.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1924 | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1925 | 1.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1926 | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1927 | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1928 | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1929 | 1.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1930 | 1.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1931 | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1932 | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1933 | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1934 | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1935 | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1936 | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1937 | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1938 | 1.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1939 | 1.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1940 | 1.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1941 | 1.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1942 | 1.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1943 | 1.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1944 | 2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 1945 | 2.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1946 | 2.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1947 | 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1948 | 2.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1949 | 2.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1950 | 2.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.9% |
| 1951 | 2.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1952 | 2.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 2.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1954 | 2.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1955 | 2.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1956 | 2.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1957 | 2.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1958 | 2.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1959 | 2.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1960 | 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -14.2% |
| 1961 | 2.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.5% |
| 1962 | 1.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -13.4% |
| 1963 | 1.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.6% |
| 1964 | 1.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 1.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 1966 | 1.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.3% |
| 1967 | 1.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 1.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.2% |
| 1969 | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 1.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.0% |
| 1971 | 1.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.0% |
| 1973 | 1.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 1.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 1.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 1.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.6% |
| 1977 | 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.4% |
| 1978 | 1.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.3% |
| 1979 | 1.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.3% |
| 1980 | 1.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 1.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 1.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.2% |
| 1983 | 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.7% |
| 1984 | 1.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.3% |
| 1985 | 1.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 1.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 1.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1988 | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.4% |
| 1989 | 1.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 1.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 1.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 1.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 1.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 1.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 1.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 1.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 1.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 1.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 1.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 2.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.3% |
| 2008 | 2.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 2.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 2.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 2.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 2.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.8% |
| 2013 | 2.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 2.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 2.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 2.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 2.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 2.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.7% |
| 2019 | 2.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 2.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 2.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.7% |
| 2022 | 2.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.8% |
| 2023 | 2.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 2024 | 2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- India's 2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for South Asia, which is 2.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 1.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 1.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 1.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 1.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 139 Kyrgyzstan 3.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 140 Dominica 3.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 141 Eritrea 2.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 143 Costa Rica 2.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 144 Egypt 2.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 145 Benin 2.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
More climate change data for India
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 27.69 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 602,760 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 105,678 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 497,082 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 398.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 17,753 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 279,594 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 176,015 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 103,578 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 664.21 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita greenhouse gas emissions in India?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in India was 2.94 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 greenhouse gas emissions recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1868.
- How does India rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions?
- India ranks 142nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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 greenhouse gas 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.