Share of global CO₂ emissions from flaring in United States
United States: Share of global CO₂ emissions from flaring was 14.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of global CO₂ emissions from flaring in United States, 1950–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United States recorded 14.8% for share of global co₂ emissions from flaring in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of global co₂ emissions from flaring in United States peaked at 58.6% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 1976.
United States ranks 2nd of 215 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of global CO₂ emissions from flaring in United States, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 58.6% | — |
| 1951 | 53.5% | -8.7% |
| 1952 | 53.5% | +0.1% |
| 1953 | 53.6% | +0.2% |
| 1954 | 50.2% | -6.4% |
| 1955 | 43.0% | -14.3% |
| 1956 | 43.0% | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 40.9% | -4.8% |
| 1958 | 35.8% | -12.4% |
| 1959 | 33.5% | -6.4% |
| 1960 | 34.0% | +1.4% |
| 1961 | 32.7% | -3.8% |
| 1962 | 26.7% | -18.4% |
| 1963 | 22.8% | -14.5% |
| 1964 | 16.3% | -28.5% |
| 1965 | 13.2% | -19.3% |
| 1966 | 14.0% | +6.2% |
| 1967 | 13.8% | -1.2% |
| 1968 | 13.6% | -1.3% |
| 1969 | 11.6% | -15.0% |
| 1970 | 9.5% | -18.5% |
| 1971 | 4.7% | -49.8% |
| 1972 | 3.8% | -19.2% |
| 1973 | 3.3% | -14.5% |
| 1974 | 2.3% | -30.6% |
| 1975 | 2.1% | -7.1% |
| 1976 | 1.9% | -12.1% |
| 1977 | 1.9% | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 2.1% | +9.4% |
| 1979 | 2.5% | +18.3% |
| 1980 | 2.1% | -14.1% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | +4.3% |
| 1982 | 2.1% | -4.0% |
| 1983 | 2.4% | +12.9% |
| 1984 | 3.1% | +29.6% |
| 1985 | 2.8% | -9.3% |
| 1986 | 3.1% | +9.9% |
| 1987 | 4.1% | +31.7% |
| 1988 | 4.1% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 5.0% | +22.2% |
| 1990 | 16.6% | +230.3% |
| 1991 | 15.4% | -7.5% |
| 1992 | 17.3% | +12.4% |
| 1993 | 17.7% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 13.1% | -25.8% |
| 1995 | 12.1% | -7.7% |
| 1996 | 10.9% | -10.2% |
| 1997 | 10.8% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 10.6% | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 10.8% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 10.4% | -3.7% |
| 2001 | 10.7% | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 11.2% | +4.5% |
| 2003 | 10.5% | -5.8% |
| 2004 | 10.8% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 10.7% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 11.0% | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 11.2% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 12.0% | +6.8% |
| 2009 | 11.7% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 12.0% | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 12.3% | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 12.7% | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 13.9% | +9.3% |
| 2014 | 15.3% | +10.3% |
| 2015 | 15.9% | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 13.9% | -12.5% |
| 2017 | 14.4% | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 16.8% | +16.9% |
| 2019 | 19.5% | +16.3% |
| 2020 | 16.5% | -15.5% |
| 2021 | 15.0% | -9.4% |
| 2022 | 14.8% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 14.9% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 14.8% | -1.1% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 14.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.0%, 1277.6× the median. (74 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of global CO₂ emissions from flaring 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +230.3% | 5.0% | 16.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 46.6% | 33.5% | 58.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 19.9% | 11.6% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.4% | 1.9% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.1% | 2.1% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.5% | 10.6% | 17.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.0% | 10.4% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.7% | 12.0% | 19.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.2% | 14.8% | 16.5% | 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 global co₂ emissions from flaring in United States?
- Share of global co₂ emissions from flaring in United States was 14.8% in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of global co₂ emissions from flaring recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 58.6% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of global co₂ emissions from flaring recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 1976.
- How does United States rank for share of global co₂ emissions from flaring?
- United States ranks 2nd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of global co₂ emissions from flaring rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 global CO₂ emissions from flaring. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from flaring, measured as a percentage of global emissions of CO₂ from flaring in the same year.