Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United States
United States: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry was 16.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
16.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
12th
of 198 countries
All-time high
26.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1973
All-time low
3.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United States, 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
United States recorded 16.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person for per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in 2024.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United States peaked at 26.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1973 and was at its lowest, 3.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1850.
United States ranks 12th of 198 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United States, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 3.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.2% |
| 1852 | 3.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1853 | 3.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1854 | 3.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1855 | 3.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.8% |
| 1856 | 3.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1857 | 3.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1858 | 3.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1859 | 3.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1860 | 3.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1861 | 3.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.6% |
| 1862 | 3.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1863 | 3.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1864 | 3.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1865 | 3.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1866 | 3.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 1867 | 4.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.1% |
| 1868 | 4.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1869 | 4.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.7% |
| 1870 | 4.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1871 | 4.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1872 | 5.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.5% |
| 1873 | 5.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.7% |
| 1874 | 5.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.5% |
| 1875 | 5.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1876 | 4.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.4% |
| 1877 | 5.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.0% |
| 1878 | 4.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.5% |
| 1879 | 5.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +12.5% |
| 1880 | 5.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.2% |
| 1881 | 6.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 1882 | 6.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.5% |
| 1883 | 6.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1884 | 6.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1885 | 6.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1886 | 6.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.1% |
| 1887 | 7.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 1888 | 8.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.1% |
| 1889 | 7.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.7% |
| 1890 | 8.36 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +14.3% |
| 1891 | 8.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 1892 | 8.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1893 | 8.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 1894 | 8.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.4% |
| 1895 | 8.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.1% |
| 1896 | 8.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1897 | 8.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1898 | 9.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.0% |
| 1899 | 10.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.1% |
| 1900 | 10.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 1901 | 11.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.1% |
| 1902 | 11.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.5% |
| 1903 | 13.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.6% |
| 1904 | 13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.1% |
| 1905 | 14.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.0% |
| 1906 | 14.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.8% |
| 1907 | 16.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.1% |
| 1908 | 14.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -13.5% |
| 1909 | 15.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.2% |
| 1910 | 16.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.8% |
| 1911 | 16.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.5% |
| 1912 | 16.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1913 | 17.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1914 | 16.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.5% |
| 1915 | 16.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.2% |
| 1916 | 17.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.0% |
| 1917 | 19.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.1% |
| 1918 | 19.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.8% |
| 1919 | 16.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -16.0% |
| 1920 | 19.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.1% |
| 1921 | 15.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -18.6% |
| 1922 | 15.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1923 | 20.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +28.8% |
| 1924 | 17.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -11.3% |
| 1925 | 18.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1926 | 19.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.6% |
| 1927 | 18.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.7% |
| 1928 | 17.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.1% |
| 1929 | 18.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1930 | 16.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -11.8% |
| 1931 | 14.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.2% |
| 1932 | 11.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.4% |
| 1933 | 12.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.1% |
| 1934 | 13.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.5% |
| 1935 | 13.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.0% |
| 1936 | 15.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.4% |
| 1937 | 16.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1938 | 13.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.5% |
| 1939 | 14.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.9% |
| 1940 | 16.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.7% |
| 1941 | 17.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.6% |
| 1942 | 18.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.2% |
| 1943 | 19.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.0% |
| 1944 | 20.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.1% |
| 1945 | 19.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.5% |
| 1946 | 18.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.3% |
| 1947 | 20.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.5% |
| 1948 | 20.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1949 | 17.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -16.5% |
| 1950 | 18.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.5% |
| 1951 | 19.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1952 | 18.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.6% |
| 1953 | 18.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1954 | 17.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.6% |
| 1955 | 19.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.8% |
| 1956 | 19.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1957 | 19.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 1958 | 18.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.0% |
| 1959 | 18.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1960 | 19.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 18.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1962 | 19.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.2% |
| 1963 | 19.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 20.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1965 | 20.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.8% |
| 1966 | 21.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1967 | 22.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1968 | 22.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1969 | 23.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.9% |
| 1970 | 24.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.6% |
| 1971 | 24.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 25.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.1% |
| 1973 | 26.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 24.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.3% |
| 1975 | 23.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.8% |
| 1976 | 24.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1977 | 24.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 25.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 25.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 24.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.2% |
| 1981 | 23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.6% |
| 1982 | 21.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.5% |
| 1983 | 21.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 21.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 21.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 21.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 22.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 22.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 22.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 23.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 22.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 22.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 22.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 23.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 23.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 23.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 23.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 23.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 23.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 23.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 22.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 22.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 23.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 22.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 22.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 22.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 21.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 19.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.1% |
| 2010 | 20.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 19.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 18.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 19.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 19.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 18.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 17.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 17.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 17.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 17.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 15.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.4% |
| 2021 | 16.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.7% |
| 2022 | 16.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 16.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.7% |
| 2024 | 16.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 16.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 2.4× the median. (67 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 3.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 3.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 5.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 6.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 8.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 13.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 17.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 19.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 18.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 20.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 14.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 11.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 18.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 20.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 18.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 17.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 19.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 20.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 18.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 23.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 24.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 23.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 26.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 21.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 24.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 22.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 23.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 19.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 23.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 17.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 20.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 9 Mongolia 19.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 10 Australia 17.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 11 Palau 16.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 13 Canada 15.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 14 Kazakhstan 15.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 15 Russia 15.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
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 greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United States?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United States was 16.2 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, excluding land use and forestry recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 26.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1973.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1850.
- How does United States rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry?
- United States ranks 12th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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, excluding land use and forestry. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes per person of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.