Share of global greenhouse gas emissions in China
China: Share of global greenhouse gas emissions was 25.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
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.
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
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 6.2% (2100)
- Population growth -0.2% (2025)
- Population, total 1.41 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population 933.17 million (2025)
- Urban population 66.3% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 285.09 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 8.66 tonnes per person (2024)
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.