Per capita methane emissions by sector in United States
United States: Per capita methane emissions by sector was 1,477 kilograms per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1,477 kilograms per person
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
20th
of 193 countries
All-time high
1,632 kilograms per person
in 2019
All-time low
997.61 kilograms per person
in 2005
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Per capita methane emissions by sector in United States, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per person.
Analysis
United States recorded 1,477 kilograms per person for per capita methane emissions by sector in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita methane emissions by sector in United States peaked at 1,632 kilograms per person in 2019 and was at its lowest, 997.61 kilograms per person, in 2005.
That places United States 20th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Per capita methane emissions by sector in United States, year by year
| Year | kilograms per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,180 kilograms per person | — |
| 1991 | 1,161 kilograms per person | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 1,144 kilograms per person | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 1,095 kilograms per person | -4.3% |
| 1994 | 1,111 kilograms per person | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 1,105 kilograms per person | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 1,099 kilograms per person | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 1,100 kilograms per person | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1,084 kilograms per person | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 1,050 kilograms per person | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 1,049 kilograms per person | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 1,052 kilograms per person | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 1,025 kilograms per person | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 1,008 kilograms per person | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 1,002 kilograms per person | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 997.61 kilograms per person | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 1,007 kilograms per person | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 1,031 kilograms per person | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 1,063 kilograms per person | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 1,042 kilograms per person | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 1,099 kilograms per person | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 1,180 kilograms per person | +7.4% |
| 2012 | 1,211 kilograms per person | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 1,253 kilograms per person | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 1,358 kilograms per person | +8.4% |
| 2015 | 1,384 kilograms per person | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 1,283 kilograms per person | -7.3% |
| 2017 | 1,341 kilograms per person | +4.6% |
| 2018 | 1,517 kilograms per person | +13.1% |
| 2019 | 1,632 kilograms per person | +7.6% |
| 2020 | 1,458 kilograms per person | -10.6% |
| 2021 | 1,396 kilograms per person | -4.3% |
| 2022 | 1,470 kilograms per person | +5.3% |
| 2023 | 1,477 kilograms per person | +0.5% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 1,477 kilograms per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 45.5 kilograms per person, 32.5× the median. (62 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,113 kilograms per person | 1,050 kilograms per person | 1,180 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,028 kilograms per person | 997.61 kilograms per person | 1,063 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,326 kilograms per person | 1,099 kilograms per person | 1,632 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,450 kilograms per person | 1,396 kilograms per person | 1,477 kilograms per person | 4 |
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 by sector in United States?
- Per capita methane emissions by sector in United States was 1,477 kilograms per person in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita methane emissions by sector recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 1,632 kilograms per person in 2019.
- What is the lowest per capita methane emissions by sector recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 997.61 kilograms per person in 2005.
- How does United States rank for per capita methane emissions by sector?
- United States ranks 20th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita methane emissions by sector rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita methane emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide-equivalents per person.