Per capita methane emissions in United States
United States: Per capita methane emissions was 2.37 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
2.37
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
30th
of 199 countries
All-time high
4.38
in 1969
All-time low
2.23
in 2016
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita methane emissions in United States, 1850–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
United States recorded 2.37 for per capita methane emissions in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita methane emissions in United States peaked at 4.38 in 1969 and was at its lowest, 2.23, in 2016.
That places United States 30th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Per capita methane emissions in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3.02 | — |
| 1851 | 3.03 | +0.5% |
| 1852 | 3.03 | -0.0% |
| 1853 | 3.03 | +0.1% |
| 1854 | 3.03 | -0.0% |
| 1855 | 3.04 | +0.2% |
| 1856 | 3.03 | -0.4% |
| 1857 | 3.01 | -0.5% |
| 1858 | 2.99 | -0.6% |
| 1859 | 2.99 | -0.1% |
| 1860 | 2.98 | -0.2% |
| 1861 | 2.94 | -1.3% |
| 1862 | 2.92 | -0.8% |
| 1863 | 2.92 | -0.0% |
| 1864 | 2.91 | -0.4% |
| 1865 | 2.88 | -0.9% |
| 1866 | 2.85 | -0.9% |
| 1867 | 2.87 | +0.5% |
| 1868 | 2.87 | -0.0% |
| 1869 | 2.87 | +0.1% |
| 1870 | 2.86 | -0.5% |
| 1871 | 2.84 | -0.5% |
| 1872 | 2.88 | +1.3% |
| 1873 | 2.88 | +0.2% |
| 1874 | 2.84 | -1.5% |
| 1875 | 2.82 | -0.9% |
| 1876 | 2.78 | -1.3% |
| 1877 | 2.79 | +0.2% |
| 1878 | 2.75 | -1.4% |
| 1879 | 2.79 | +1.5% |
| 1880 | 2.81 | +0.6% |
| 1881 | 2.79 | -0.6% |
| 1882 | 2.8 | +0.4% |
| 1883 | 2.8 | -0.1% |
| 1884 | 2.78 | -0.5% |
| 1885 | 2.75 | -1.2% |
| 1886 | 2.73 | -0.6% |
| 1887 | 2.73 | -0.3% |
| 1888 | 2.81 | +2.9% |
| 1889 | 2.69 | -4.0% |
| 1890 | 2.77 | +2.9% |
| 1891 | 2.78 | +0.2% |
| 1892 | 2.78 | +0.1% |
| 1893 | 2.75 | -1.1% |
| 1894 | 2.66 | -3.0% |
| 1895 | 2.72 | +2.0% |
| 1896 | 2.68 | -1.5% |
| 1897 | 2.67 | -0.4% |
| 1898 | 2.7 | +1.1% |
| 1899 | 2.78 | +2.9% |
| 1900 | 2.79 | +0.4% |
| 1901 | 2.84 | +1.8% |
| 1902 | 2.86 | +0.8% |
| 1903 | 3 | +4.9% |
| 1904 | 2.94 | -2.0% |
| 1905 | 3.04 | +3.3% |
| 1906 | 3.06 | +0.9% |
| 1907 | 3.24 | +5.7% |
| 1908 | 3 | -7.1% |
| 1909 | 3.11 | +3.4% |
| 1910 | 3.2 | +3.0% |
| 1911 | 3.15 | -1.5% |
| 1912 | 3.22 | +2.2% |
| 1913 | 3.3 | +2.6% |
| 1914 | 3.13 | -5.2% |
| 1915 | 3.16 | +0.9% |
| 1916 | 3.3 | +4.3% |
| 1917 | 3.43 | +4.0% |
| 1918 | 3.48 | +1.4% |
| 1919 | 3.16 | -9.3% |
| 1920 | 3.39 | +7.3% |
| 1921 | 3.03 | -10.4% |
| 1922 | 3.01 | -0.7% |
| 1923 | 3.44 | +14.1% |
| 1924 | 3.21 | -6.6% |
| 1925 | 3.22 | +0.4% |
| 1926 | 3.33 | +3.4% |
| 1927 | 3.25 | -2.5% |
| 1928 | 3.19 | -2.0% |
| 1929 | 3.27 | +2.7% |
| 1930 | 3.06 | -6.5% |
| 1931 | 2.81 | -8.0% |
| 1932 | 2.61 | -7.4% |
| 1933 | 2.67 | +2.5% |
| 1934 | 2.73 | +2.3% |
| 1935 | 2.76 | +1.1% |
| 1936 | 2.93 | +6.0% |
| 1937 | 2.97 | +1.4% |
| 1938 | 2.73 | -8.1% |
| 1939 | 2.84 | +3.9% |
| 1940 | 2.98 | +4.9% |
| 1941 | 3.12 | +4.8% |
| 1942 | 3.26 | +4.3% |
| 1943 | 3.31 | +1.7% |
| 1944 | 3.44 | +3.9% |
| 1945 | 3.38 | -1.8% |
| 1946 | 3.3 | -2.2% |
| 1947 | 3.48 | +5.3% |
| 1948 | 3.55 | +2.0% |
| 1949 | 3.27 | -7.9% |
| 1950 | 3.37 | +3.0% |
| 1951 | 3.41 | +1.4% |
| 1952 | 3.37 | -1.2% |
| 1953 | 3.42 | +1.4% |
| 1954 | 3.36 | -1.7% |
| 1955 | 3.52 | +4.8% |
| 1956 | 3.62 | +2.6% |
| 1957 | 3.62 | +0.1% |
| 1958 | 3.6 | -0.6% |
| 1959 | 3.66 | +1.8% |
| 1960 | 3.72 | +1.5% |
| 1961 | 3.71 | -0.3% |
| 1962 | 3.79 | +2.2% |
| 1963 | 3.88 | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 3.96 | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 4.02 | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 4.09 | +1.9% |
| 1967 | 4.17 | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 4.27 | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 4.38 | +2.6% |
| 1970 | 4.29 | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 4.27 | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 4.29 | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 4.27 | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 4.22 | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 4.17 | -1.2% |
| 1976 | 4.1 | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 4.02 | -2.0% |
| 1978 | 3.95 | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 4.02 | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 4.02 | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 3.97 | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 3.91 | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 3.74 | -4.4% |
| 1984 | 3.76 | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 3.68 | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 3.6 | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 3.56 | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 3.55 | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 3.52 | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 3.42 | -2.8% |
| 1991 | 3.35 | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 3.32 | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 3.28 | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 3.26 | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 3.17 | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 3.11 | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 3.07 | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 2.98 | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 2.9 | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 2.84 | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 2.73 | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 2.64 | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 2.64 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 2.61 | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 2.61 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 2.63 | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 2.63 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 2.66 | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 2.51 | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 2.43 | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 2.43 | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 2.36 | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 2.34 | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 2.36 | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 2.31 | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 2.23 | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 2.26 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 2.32 | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 2.37 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 2.24 | -5.2% |
| 2021 | 2.32 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 2.35 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 2.38 | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 2.37 | -0.7% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 2.37 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.02, 2.3× the median. (67 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 3.02 | 2.99 | 3.04 | 10 |
| 1860s | 2.9 | 2.85 | 2.98 | 10 |
| 1870s | 2.82 | 2.75 | 2.88 | 10 |
| 1880s | 2.77 | 2.69 | 2.81 | 10 |
| 1890s | 2.73 | 2.66 | 2.78 | 10 |
| 1900s | 2.99 | 2.79 | 3.24 | 10 |
| 1910s | 3.25 | 3.13 | 3.48 | 10 |
| 1920s | 3.23 | 3.01 | 3.44 | 10 |
| 1930s | 2.81 | 2.61 | 3.06 | 10 |
| 1940s | 3.31 | 2.98 | 3.55 | 10 |
| 1950s | 3.5 | 3.36 | 3.66 | 10 |
| 1960s | 4 | 3.71 | 4.38 | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.16 | 3.95 | 4.29 | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.73 | 3.52 | 4.02 | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.19 | 2.9 | 3.42 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.65 | 2.51 | 2.84 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.34 | 2.23 | 2.43 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.33 | 2.24 | 2.38 | 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 methane emissions in United States?
- Per capita methane emissions in United States was 2.37 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita methane emissions recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 4.38 in 1969.
- What is the lowest per capita methane emissions recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.23 in 2016.
- How does United States rank for per capita methane emissions?
- United States ranks 30th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita methane emissions rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from 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).