Per capita ghg emissions in United States
United States: Per capita ghg emissions was 17.53 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
17.53
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
15th
of 199 countries
All-time high
35.77
in 1879
All-time low
16.96
in 2020
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita ghg emissions in United States, 1850–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, per capita ghg emissions in United States stood at 17.53.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita ghg emissions in United States peaked at 35.77 in 1879 and was at its lowest, 16.96, in 2020.
United States ranks 15th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 175 years of available data.
Per capita ghg emissions in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 32.8 | — |
| 1851 | 34.24 | +4.4% |
| 1852 | 34.27 | +0.1% |
| 1853 | 34.95 | +2.0% |
| 1854 | 34.97 | +0.1% |
| 1855 | 34.68 | -0.8% |
| 1856 | 34.31 | -1.1% |
| 1857 | 34.12 | -0.5% |
| 1858 | 34.09 | -0.1% |
| 1859 | 34.33 | +0.7% |
| 1860 | 31.21 | -9.1% |
| 1861 | 28.26 | -9.4% |
| 1862 | 27.54 | -2.6% |
| 1863 | 27.2 | -1.2% |
| 1864 | 26.1 | -4.1% |
| 1865 | 24.82 | -4.9% |
| 1866 | 23.96 | -3.5% |
| 1867 | 23.97 | +0.0% |
| 1868 | 23.39 | -2.4% |
| 1869 | 22.66 | -3.1% |
| 1870 | 28.29 | +24.9% |
| 1871 | 30.45 | +7.6% |
| 1872 | 31.9 | +4.7% |
| 1873 | 33.19 | +4.0% |
| 1874 | 33.63 | +1.3% |
| 1875 | 33.84 | +0.6% |
| 1876 | 33.91 | +0.2% |
| 1877 | 34.58 | +2.0% |
| 1878 | 34.79 | +0.6% |
| 1879 | 35.77 | +2.8% |
| 1880 | 33.5 | -6.3% |
| 1881 | 31.61 | -5.7% |
| 1882 | 31.68 | +0.2% |
| 1883 | 31.79 | +0.3% |
| 1884 | 31.18 | -1.9% |
| 1885 | 30.29 | -2.9% |
| 1886 | 29.95 | -1.1% |
| 1887 | 30.1 | +0.5% |
| 1888 | 30.49 | +1.3% |
| 1889 | 28.8 | -5.5% |
| 1890 | 30.67 | +6.5% |
| 1891 | 30.97 | +1.0% |
| 1892 | 30.7 | -0.8% |
| 1893 | 30.7 | -0.0% |
| 1894 | 29.72 | -3.2% |
| 1895 | 30.06 | +1.1% |
| 1896 | 29.7 | -1.2% |
| 1897 | 29.68 | -0.1% |
| 1898 | 30.13 | +1.5% |
| 1899 | 31.08 | +3.1% |
| 1900 | 30.31 | -2.5% |
| 1901 | 30.11 | -0.7% |
| 1902 | 30.17 | +0.2% |
| 1903 | 31.15 | +3.3% |
| 1904 | 30.65 | -1.6% |
| 1905 | 31.37 | +2.4% |
| 1906 | 31.32 | -0.2% |
| 1907 | 32.97 | +5.3% |
| 1908 | 30.47 | -7.6% |
| 1909 | 31.43 | +3.1% |
| 1910 | 31.72 | +0.9% |
| 1911 | 30.9 | -2.6% |
| 1912 | 30.78 | -0.4% |
| 1913 | 31.51 | +2.4% |
| 1914 | 29.67 | -5.8% |
| 1915 | 29.52 | -0.5% |
| 1916 | 30.54 | +3.4% |
| 1917 | 31.73 | +3.9% |
| 1918 | 32.22 | +1.5% |
| 1919 | 28.58 | -11.3% |
| 1920 | 31.02 | +8.5% |
| 1921 | 27.49 | -11.4% |
| 1922 | 27.08 | -1.5% |
| 1923 | 31.21 | +15.3% |
| 1924 | 28.61 | -8.4% |
| 1925 | 28.78 | +0.6% |
| 1926 | 29.58 | +2.8% |
| 1927 | 28.49 | -3.7% |
| 1928 | 27.66 | -2.9% |
| 1929 | 28.36 | +2.5% |
| 1930 | 25.4 | -10.4% |
| 1931 | 22.56 | -11.2% |
| 1932 | 19.84 | -12.1% |
| 1933 | 20.26 | +2.1% |
| 1934 | 20.82 | +2.8% |
| 1935 | 20.82 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 22.53 | +8.2% |
| 1937 | 22.79 | +1.2% |
| 1938 | 20.08 | -11.9% |
| 1939 | 21.07 | +4.9% |
| 1940 | 22.96 | +9.0% |
| 1941 | 24.33 | +5.9% |
| 1942 | 25.43 | +4.5% |
| 1943 | 25.79 | +1.4% |
| 1944 | 26.94 | +4.5% |
| 1945 | 26 | -3.5% |
| 1946 | 24.96 | -4.0% |
| 1947 | 26.5 | +6.2% |
| 1948 | 26.97 | +1.8% |
| 1949 | 23.34 | -13.5% |
| 1950 | 24.3 | +4.1% |
| 1951 | 24.22 | -0.3% |
| 1952 | 23.21 | -4.2% |
| 1953 | 23.21 | -0.0% |
| 1954 | 22.04 | -5.0% |
| 1955 | 23.23 | +5.4% |
| 1956 | 23.74 | +2.2% |
| 1957 | 23.14 | -2.5% |
| 1958 | 22.18 | -4.1% |
| 1959 | 22.11 | -0.3% |
| 1960 | 22.18 | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 21.37 | -3.7% |
| 1962 | 22.34 | +4.5% |
| 1963 | 22.41 | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 22.84 | +2.0% |
| 1965 | 23.21 | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 23.86 | +2.8% |
| 1967 | 26.15 | +9.6% |
| 1968 | 27.99 | +7.0% |
| 1969 | 27.43 | -2.0% |
| 1970 | 28.02 | +2.1% |
| 1971 | 27.61 | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 28.23 | +2.2% |
| 1973 | 28.81 | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 27.71 | -3.8% |
| 1975 | 26.5 | -4.4% |
| 1976 | 27.24 | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 27.92 | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 28 | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 27.83 | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 26.84 | -3.5% |
| 1981 | 25.71 | -4.2% |
| 1982 | 24.38 | -5.2% |
| 1983 | 24.16 | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 24.59 | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 24.39 | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 23.93 | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 24.56 | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 25.23 | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 25.26 | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 25.61 | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 24.93 | -2.7% |
| 1992 | 24.9 | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 24.95 | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 25.19 | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 24.77 | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 25.13 | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 25.18 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 25.09 | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 25.16 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 25.64 | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 24.54 | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 24.59 | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 24.99 | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 24.98 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 25.12 | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 23.65 | -5.9% |
| 2007 | 23.79 | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 23.2 | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 21.36 | -7.9% |
| 2010 | 21.94 | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 20.77 | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 20.15 | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 20.27 | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 20.46 | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 19.65 | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 19.16 | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 19.02 | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 19.3 | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 18.83 | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 16.96 | -9.9% |
| 2021 | 18.02 | +6.2% |
| 2022 | 18.16 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 17.7 | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 17.53 | -1.0% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 17.53 is above the median for high income countries, which is 7.8, 2.2× the median. (67 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 34.27 | 32.8 | 34.97 | 10 |
| 1860s | 25.91 | 22.66 | 31.21 | 10 |
| 1870s | 33.03 | 28.29 | 35.77 | 10 |
| 1880s | 30.94 | 28.8 | 33.5 | 10 |
| 1890s | 30.34 | 29.68 | 31.08 | 10 |
| 1900s | 31 | 30.11 | 32.97 | 10 |
| 1910s | 30.72 | 28.58 | 32.22 | 10 |
| 1920s | 28.83 | 27.08 | 31.21 | 10 |
| 1930s | 21.62 | 19.84 | 25.4 | 10 |
| 1940s | 25.32 | 22.96 | 26.97 | 10 |
| 1950s | 23.14 | 22.04 | 24.3 | 10 |
| 1960s | 23.98 | 21.37 | 27.99 | 10 |
| 1970s | 27.79 | 26.5 | 28.81 | 10 |
| 1980s | 24.91 | 23.93 | 26.84 | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.09 | 24.77 | 25.61 | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.19 | 21.36 | 25.64 | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.95 | 18.83 | 21.94 | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.67 | 16.96 | 18.16 | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More climate change data for United States
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 274,482 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 60,922 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 213,560 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 229.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7,627 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 107,381 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 89,068 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 18,313 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 336.11 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 654.05 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita ghg emissions in United States?
- Per capita ghg emissions in United States was 17.53 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita ghg emissions recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 35.77 in 1879.
- What is the lowest per capita ghg emissions recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.96 in 2020.
- How does United States rank for per capita ghg emissions?
- United States ranks 15th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita ghg emissions rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita ghg 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).