Share of global greenhouse gas emissions in China
China: Share of global greenhouse gas emissions was 25.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
25.9%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
1st
of 199 countries
All-time high
25.9%
in 2024
All-time low
4.3%
in 1878
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Share of global greenhouse gas emissions in China, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of global greenhouse gas emissions in China stood at 25.9%. That is the highest value across all 175 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of global greenhouse gas emissions in China peaked at 25.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 1878.
That places China 1st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of global greenhouse gas emissions in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 9.9% | — |
| 1851 | 9.5% | -3.9% |
| 1852 | 9.1% | -4.4% |
| 1853 | 8.8% | -3.1% |
| 1854 | 8.5% | -3.4% |
| 1855 | 8.2% | -3.1% |
| 1856 | 8.0% | -2.8% |
| 1857 | 7.8% | -2.5% |
| 1858 | 7.6% | -2.6% |
| 1859 | 7.4% | -2.9% |
| 1860 | 7.4% | +0.9% |
| 1861 | 7.2% | -3.4% |
| 1862 | 7.1% | -1.6% |
| 1863 | 6.9% | -2.3% |
| 1864 | 6.7% | -3.6% |
| 1865 | 6.2% | -6.7% |
| 1866 | 6.0% | -3.4% |
| 1867 | 5.8% | -3.7% |
| 1868 | 5.6% | -3.1% |
| 1869 | 5.4% | -4.1% |
| 1870 | 5.0% | -6.6% |
| 1871 | 4.9% | -3.0% |
| 1872 | 4.7% | -3.0% |
| 1873 | 4.6% | -2.8% |
| 1874 | 4.6% | -0.7% |
| 1875 | 4.3% | -4.5% |
| 1876 | 4.4% | +0.5% |
| 1877 | 4.4% | +0.3% |
| 1878 | 4.3% | -1.9% |
| 1879 | 4.3% | +0.1% |
| 1880 | 4.4% | +2.0% |
| 1881 | 4.6% | +5.8% |
| 1882 | 4.7% | +1.0% |
| 1883 | 4.7% | -0.4% |
| 1884 | 4.7% | +0.8% |
| 1885 | 4.6% | -1.8% |
| 1886 | 4.8% | +3.9% |
| 1887 | 4.8% | +0.1% |
| 1888 | 4.8% | -0.4% |
| 1889 | 4.9% | +2.1% |
| 1890 | 4.9% | +0.1% |
| 1891 | 5.0% | +1.5% |
| 1892 | 5.0% | -0.2% |
| 1893 | 5.0% | +1.2% |
| 1894 | 5.0% | +0.2% |
| 1895 | 5.0% | -1.5% |
| 1896 | 5.0% | +1.0% |
| 1897 | 5.1% | +1.2% |
| 1898 | 5.1% | +0.1% |
| 1899 | 5.0% | -1.5% |
| 1900 | 5.1% | +2.7% |
| 1901 | 5.3% | +2.5% |
| 1902 | 5.3% | -0.1% |
| 1903 | 5.2% | -1.2% |
| 1904 | 5.2% | -0.5% |
| 1905 | 5.1% | -1.0% |
| 1906 | 5.1% | +0.3% |
| 1907 | 5.2% | +1.1% |
| 1908 | 5.3% | +2.4% |
| 1909 | 5.3% | +0.4% |
| 1910 | 5.5% | +3.0% |
| 1911 | 5.8% | +4.6% |
| 1912 | 5.7% | -1.4% |
| 1913 | 5.6% | -1.3% |
| 1914 | 6.1% | +8.3% |
| 1915 | 6.2% | +2.7% |
| 1916 | 6.1% | -1.6% |
| 1917 | 6.2% | +1.5% |
| 1918 | 6.4% | +2.6% |
| 1919 | 6.8% | +5.9% |
| 1920 | 6.1% | -9.5% |
| 1921 | 6.2% | +1.3% |
| 1922 | 6.0% | -3.3% |
| 1923 | 5.8% | -2.9% |
| 1924 | 5.8% | +0.2% |
| 1925 | 5.8% | -0.7% |
| 1926 | 5.8% | -0.5% |
| 1927 | 5.6% | -2.6% |
| 1928 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
| 1929 | 5.6% | -0.6% |
| 1930 | 6.0% | +8.4% |
| 1931 | 6.4% | +6.3% |
| 1932 | 6.8% | +5.2% |
| 1933 | 6.8% | +0.3% |
| 1934 | 6.8% | -0.1% |
| 1935 | 6.9% | +1.5% |
| 1936 | 6.7% | -3.1% |
| 1937 | 6.5% | -2.1% |
| 1938 | 6.6% | +1.9% |
| 1939 | 6.7% | +1.1% |
| 1940 | 6.9% | +2.7% |
| 1941 | 7.1% | +3.0% |
| 1942 | 7.3% | +2.7% |
| 1943 | 7.2% | -1.0% |
| 1944 | 7.2% | -0.2% |
| 1945 | 7.4% | +2.1% |
| 1946 | 7.1% | -4.2% |
| 1947 | 6.8% | -2.9% |
| 1948 | 6.7% | -2.4% |
| 1949 | 7.0% | +5.5% |
| 1950 | 7.9% | +11.7% |
| 1951 | 8.8% | +11.9% |
| 1952 | 7.6% | -13.3% |
| 1953 | 7.2% | -5.8% |
| 1954 | 8.1% | +12.0% |
| 1955 | 7.6% | -5.7% |
| 1956 | 7.0% | -8.2% |
| 1957 | 6.9% | -1.2% |
| 1958 | 7.2% | +3.7% |
| 1959 | 7.3% | +2.6% |
| 1960 | 7.6% | +3.5% |
| 1961 | 8.0% | +5.2% |
| 1962 | 7.7% | -3.3% |
| 1963 | 8.0% | +3.6% |
| 1964 | 7.6% | -5.7% |
| 1965 | 8.5% | +12.7% |
| 1966 | 7.9% | -6.9% |
| 1967 | 6.5% | -18.4% |
| 1968 | 6.8% | +4.4% |
| 1969 | 8.6% | +27.4% |
| 1970 | 8.6% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 7.9% | -8.3% |
| 1972 | 9.4% | +19.1% |
| 1973 | 9.0% | -4.1% |
| 1974 | 9.1% | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 9.3% | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 8.8% | -5.5% |
| 1977 | 10.1% | +14.9% |
| 1978 | 11.0% | +8.6% |
| 1979 | 9.6% | -12.8% |
| 1980 | 9.4% | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 9.4% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 9.9% | +5.2% |
| 1983 | 10.0% | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 10.1% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 10.0% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 10.2% | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 10.6% | +4.0% |
| 1988 | 11.0% | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 11.2% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 11.2% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 11.4% | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 11.9% | +4.2% |
| 1993 | 12.3% | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 12.7% | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 13.2% | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 13.4% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 12.8% | -4.4% |
| 1998 | 12.9% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 13.2% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 12.9% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 13.1% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 13.5% | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 14.4% | +6.6% |
| 2004 | 15.4% | +6.8% |
| 2005 | 16.8% | +9.0% |
| 2006 | 17.8% | +5.9% |
| 2007 | 18.6% | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 19.4% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 20.2% | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 20.8% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 22.3% | +7.2% |
| 2012 | 22.3% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 22.6% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 22.4% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 22.3% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 22.3% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 22.5% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 23.0% | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 23.4% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 24.8% | +5.6% |
| 2021 | 24.6% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 25.1% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 25.8% | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 25.9% | +0.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 25.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1%, 330.4× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 25.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.1%, 230.6× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of global greenhouse gas emissions in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | +27.4% | 6.8% | 8.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 8.5% | 7.4% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 1860s | 6.4% | 5.4% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 1870s | 4.5% | 4.3% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1880s | 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 1890s | 5.0% | 4.9% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 1900s | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1910s | 6.0% | 5.5% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 1920s | 5.8% | 5.6% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 1930s | 6.6% | 6.0% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 1940s | 7.1% | 6.7% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 1950s | 7.6% | 6.9% | 8.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 7.7% | 6.5% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 9.3% | 7.9% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.2% | 9.4% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.5% | 11.2% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.2% | 12.9% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.4% | 20.8% | 23.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.2% | 24.6% | 25.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
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 share of global greenhouse gas emissions in China?
- Share of global greenhouse gas emissions in China was 25.9% in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of global greenhouse gas emissions recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 25.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of global greenhouse gas emissions recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 1878.
- How does China rank for share of global greenhouse gas emissions?
- China ranks 1st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of global greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of global greenhouse gas 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 as a percentage of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.