Per capita methane emissions in China
China: Per capita methane emissions was 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
72nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 2024
All-time low
0.6142 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1870
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita methane 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
The most recent figure for per capita methane emissions in China is 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 175 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita methane emissions in China peaked at 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.6142 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1870.
That places China 72nd 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 methane emissions in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 0.6176 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 0.6157 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1852 | 0.6149 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1853 | 0.6151 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1854 | 0.6153 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1855 | 0.6155 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1856 | 0.6156 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1857 | 0.6157 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1858 | 0.6157 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1859 | 0.6153 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1860 | 0.6143 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1861 | 0.6154 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1862 | 0.6161 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1863 | 0.6163 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1864 | 0.6164 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1865 | 0.6166 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1866 | 0.6167 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1867 | 0.6168 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1868 | 0.6169 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1869 | 0.6161 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1870 | 0.6142 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1871 | 0.6163 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1872 | 0.6174 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1873 | 0.6176 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1874 | 0.6177 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1875 | 0.6179 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1876 | 0.618 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1877 | 0.6181 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1878 | 0.6183 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1879 | 0.6183 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1880 | 0.6183 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1881 | 0.6186 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1882 | 0.6188 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1883 | 0.6189 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1884 | 0.6191 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 0.6192 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1886 | 0.6193 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1887 | 0.6195 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1888 | 0.6196 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1889 | 0.6194 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1890 | 0.6191 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1891 | 0.6197 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1892 | 0.6202 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1893 | 0.6203 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1894 | 0.6205 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1895 | 0.6206 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1896 | 0.6207 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1897 | 0.6208 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1898 | 0.6209 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1899 | 0.621 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 0.6209 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1901 | 0.6209 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 0.621 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1903 | 0.6218 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1904 | 0.6218 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.6217 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1906 | 0.6283 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1907 | 0.628 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1908 | 0.6305 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1909 | 0.6288 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1910 | 0.6263 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1911 | 0.6317 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1912 | 0.6246 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 1913 | 0.625 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1914 | 0.6268 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1915 | 0.6271 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.6277 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1917 | 0.6283 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1918 | 0.6283 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.6301 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1920 | 0.6325 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1921 | 0.6298 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1922 | 0.6292 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1923 | 0.6312 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1924 | 0.6321 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1925 | 0.6312 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1926 | 0.6296 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1927 | 0.6308 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1928 | 0.6308 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.6309 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.6308 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.6325 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1932 | 0.6325 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.634 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1934 | 0.6366 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1935 | 0.6396 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1936 | 0.6412 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1937 | 0.6386 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1938 | 0.6358 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1939 | 0.639 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1940 | 0.6449 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1941 | 0.6523 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1942 | 0.6543 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1943 | 0.6486 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1944 | 0.6488 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.6302 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1946 | 0.6214 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.4% |
| 1947 | 0.6201 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1948 | 0.6148 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1949 | 0.6227 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1950 | 0.6229 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.6325 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1952 | 0.6383 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 1953 | 0.6349 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 1954 | 0.6371 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1955 | 0.6383 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1956 | 0.6381 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.642 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1958 | 0.7075 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.2% |
| 1959 | 0.7555 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.8% |
| 1960 | 0.7722 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.2% |
| 1961 | 0.7183 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.0% |
| 1962 | 0.6811 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.2% |
| 1963 | 0.6756 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1964 | 0.6834 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 0.6866 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1966 | 0.6958 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1967 | 0.6697 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.8% |
| 1968 | 0.6643 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1969 | 0.675 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 0.712 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.5% |
| 1971 | 0.7171 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 0.7187 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 0.7107 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 1974 | 0.7037 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 0.721 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 0.7177 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 0.7256 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 0.7343 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 0.7314 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 0.7237 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 0.7105 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 0.7116 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 0.7186 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 0.7289 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 0.7268 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 0.7309 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 0.7345 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 0.7378 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 0.7503 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 0.7519 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 0.7432 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 0.7373 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 0.7323 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 0.7445 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 0.7785 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.6% |
| 1996 | 0.7887 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 0.7484 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.1% |
| 1998 | 0.7467 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 0.7441 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 0.7483 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 0.7487 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.7474 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 0.7782 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 0.8213 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 0.8549 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 0.8816 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 0.8871 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 0.887 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.8921 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 0.9184 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 0.9728 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.9% |
| 2012 | 0.9634 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 0.9651 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 0.9659 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 0.9608 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 0.9256 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 0.9339 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 0.9548 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 0.965 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 0.981 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 1.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 1.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.4% |
| 2023 | 1.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.0× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.4× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0.6156 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6149 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6176 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.6162 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6143 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6169 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.6174 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6142 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6183 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.6191 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6183 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6196 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.6204 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6191 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.621 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.6244 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6209 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6305 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.6276 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6246 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6317 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.6308 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6292 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6325 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.6361 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6308 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6412 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.6358 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6148 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6543 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.6547 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6229 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7555 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.6922 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.6643 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7722 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7192 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7037 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7343 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.7274 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7105 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7503 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7516 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7323 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7887 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8247 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7474 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.8921 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9526 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.9184 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.9728 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.981 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 69 Poland 1.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 70 Angola 1.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 71 Romania 1.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 73 Niger 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 74 Kyrgyzstan 1.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 75 Slovenia 1.11 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 methane emissions in China?
- Per capita methane emissions in China was 1.12 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 methane emissions recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest per capita methane emissions recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6142 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1870.
- How does China rank for per capita methane emissions?
- China ranks 72nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita methane emissions rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 methane 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
Measured in tonnes per person of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.