Share of cumulative CO₂ emissions from oil in United States
United States: Share of cumulative CO₂ emissions from oil was 25.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
25.9%
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
1st
of 215 countries
All-time high
81.4%
in 1863
All-time low
0.0%
in 1855
Years of data
170
1855–2024
Share of cumulative CO₂ emissions from oil in United States, 1855–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of cumulative co₂ emissions from oil in United States is 25.9%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of cumulative co₂ emissions from oil in United States peaked at 81.4% in 1863 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1855.
That places United States 1st out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 170 years of available data.
Share of cumulative CO₂ emissions from oil in United States, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1855 | 0.0% | — |
| 1856 | 0.0% | — |
| 1857 | 0.0% | — |
| 1858 | 0.0% | — |
| 1859 | 0.0% | — |
| 1860 | 38.8% | — |
| 1861 | 72.8% | +87.4% |
| 1862 | 80.9% | +11.1% |
| 1863 | 81.4% | +0.6% |
| 1864 | 80.6% | -0.9% |
| 1865 | 80.0% | -0.8% |
| 1866 | 78.9% | -1.4% |
| 1867 | 77.0% | -2.4% |
| 1868 | 74.9% | -2.8% |
| 1869 | 73.4% | -2.0% |
| 1870 | 72.0% | -1.8% |
| 1871 | 70.5% | -2.2% |
| 1872 | 69.7% | -1.1% |
| 1873 | 69.4% | -0.5% |
| 1874 | 69.4% | -0.0% |
| 1875 | 67.9% | -2.1% |
| 1876 | 66.0% | -2.8% |
| 1877 | 64.9% | -1.7% |
| 1878 | 64.2% | -1.0% |
| 1879 | 63.9% | -0.5% |
| 1880 | 64.5% | +0.9% |
| 1881 | 64.3% | -0.3% |
| 1882 | 64.2% | -0.2% |
| 1883 | 63.1% | -1.6% |
| 1884 | 61.6% | -2.3% |
| 1885 | 59.7% | -3.1% |
| 1886 | 58.6% | -1.9% |
| 1887 | 57.3% | -2.2% |
| 1888 | 56.0% | -2.4% |
| 1889 | 55.1% | -1.5% |
| 1890 | 54.7% | -0.7% |
| 1891 | 54.4% | -0.6% |
| 1892 | 53.9% | -1.0% |
| 1893 | 52.9% | -1.8% |
| 1894 | 52.3% | -1.2% |
| 1895 | 51.4% | -1.7% |
| 1896 | 50.8% | -1.1% |
| 1897 | 50.1% | -1.4% |
| 1898 | 49.1% | -2.0% |
| 1899 | 48.1% | -2.0% |
| 1900 | 47.2% | -1.9% |
| 1901 | 46.3% | -1.9% |
| 1902 | 46.0% | -0.6% |
| 1903 | 46.1% | +0.1% |
| 1904 | 46.3% | +0.5% |
| 1905 | 47.0% | +1.5% |
| 1906 | 47.3% | +0.7% |
| 1907 | 48.0% | +1.5% |
| 1908 | 48.6% | +1.3% |
| 1909 | 49.1% | +0.9% |
| 1910 | 49.8% | +1.4% |
| 1911 | 50.4% | +1.2% |
| 1912 | 50.8% | +0.9% |
| 1913 | 51.4% | +1.2% |
| 1914 | 52.2% | +1.4% |
| 1915 | 52.8% | +1.2% |
| 1916 | 53.5% | +1.3% |
| 1917 | 54.1% | +1.2% |
| 1918 | 54.9% | +1.4% |
| 1919 | 55.7% | +1.4% |
| 1920 | 56.4% | +1.3% |
| 1921 | 56.9% | +0.9% |
| 1922 | 57.6% | +1.2% |
| 1923 | 58.6% | +1.8% |
| 1924 | 59.3% | +1.2% |
| 1925 | 59.9% | +1.1% |
| 1926 | 60.5% | +1.0% |
| 1927 | 61.4% | +1.3% |
| 1928 | 62.1% | +1.1% |
| 1929 | 62.7% | +1.1% |
| 1930 | 62.9% | +0.3% |
| 1931 | 62.9% | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 62.8% | -0.2% |
| 1933 | 62.8% | -0.1% |
| 1934 | 62.5% | -0.4% |
| 1935 | 62.3% | -0.4% |
| 1936 | 62.1% | -0.3% |
| 1937 | 62.0% | -0.1% |
| 1938 | 61.8% | -0.3% |
| 1939 | 61.7% | -0.2% |
| 1940 | 61.7% | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 61.9% | +0.2% |
| 1942 | 62.0% | +0.3% |
| 1943 | 62.2% | +0.3% |
| 1944 | 62.4% | +0.3% |
| 1945 | 62.8% | +0.6% |
| 1946 | 62.9% | +0.3% |
| 1947 | 63.0% | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 63.0% | +0.1% |
| 1949 | 63.0% | -0.0% |
| 1950 | 62.7% | -0.5% |
| 1951 | 62.3% | -0.6% |
| 1952 | 61.9% | -0.7% |
| 1953 | 61.5% | -0.7% |
| 1954 | 60.9% | -0.9% |
| 1955 | 60.2% | -1.1% |
| 1956 | 59.5% | -1.2% |
| 1957 | 58.6% | -1.4% |
| 1958 | 57.8% | -1.4% |
| 1959 | 57.0% | -1.5% |
| 1960 | 56.0% | -1.7% |
| 1961 | 55.0% | -1.8% |
| 1962 | 53.9% | -1.9% |
| 1963 | 52.8% | -2.1% |
| 1964 | 51.6% | -2.2% |
| 1965 | 50.5% | -2.2% |
| 1966 | 49.3% | -2.3% |
| 1967 | 48.2% | -2.3% |
| 1968 | 47.1% | -2.3% |
| 1969 | 45.9% | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 44.9% | -2.4% |
| 1971 | 43.8% | -2.4% |
| 1972 | 42.8% | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 41.8% | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 40.9% | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 40.1% | -2.0% |
| 1976 | 39.3% | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 38.7% | -1.7% |
| 1978 | 38.1% | -1.6% |
| 1979 | 37.4% | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 36.8% | -1.6% |
| 1981 | 36.2% | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 35.7% | -1.5% |
| 1983 | 35.2% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 34.8% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 34.4% | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 34.0% | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 33.6% | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 33.3% | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 33.0% | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 32.7% | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 32.3% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 32.0% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 31.7% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 31.5% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 31.2% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 31.0% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 30.8% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 30.6% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 30.4% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 30.2% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 30.0% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 29.9% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 29.7% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 29.5% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 29.4% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 29.2% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 29.0% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 28.8% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 28.7% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 28.4% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 28.2% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 28.0% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 27.8% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 27.6% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 27.4% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 27.2% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 27.1% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 26.9% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 26.7% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 26.6% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 26.4% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 26.3% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 26.1% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 25.9% | -0.6% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 25.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.1%, 242.8× the median. (74 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of cumulative CO₂ emissions from oil in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1861 | +87.4% | 38.8% | 72.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5 |
| 1860s | 73.9% | 38.8% | 81.4% | 10 |
| 1870s | 67.8% | 63.9% | 72.0% | 10 |
| 1880s | 60.5% | 55.1% | 64.5% | 10 |
| 1890s | 51.8% | 48.1% | 54.7% | 10 |
| 1900s | 47.2% | 46.0% | 49.1% | 10 |
| 1910s | 52.6% | 49.8% | 55.7% | 10 |
| 1920s | 59.5% | 56.4% | 62.7% | 10 |
| 1930s | 62.4% | 61.7% | 62.9% | 10 |
| 1940s | 62.5% | 61.7% | 63.0% | 10 |
| 1950s | 60.2% | 57.0% | 62.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 51.0% | 45.9% | 56.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 40.8% | 37.4% | 44.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 34.7% | 33.0% | 36.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.4% | 30.4% | 32.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.4% | 28.7% | 30.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.5% | 26.7% | 28.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.2% | 25.9% | 26.6% | 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 share of cumulative co₂ emissions from oil in United States?
- Share of cumulative co₂ emissions from oil in United States was 25.9% in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of cumulative co₂ emissions from oil recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 81.4% in 1863.
- What is the lowest share of cumulative co₂ emissions from oil recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1855.
- How does United States rank for share of cumulative co₂ emissions from oil?
- United States ranks 1st out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of cumulative co₂ emissions from oil rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of cumulative CO₂ emissions from oil. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 170 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from oil since the first year of available data, measured as a percentage of global cumulative emissions of CO₂ from oil.