Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in China
China: Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry was 13.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
13.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
1st
of 198 countries
All-time high
13.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2024
All-time low
89.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1870
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in China, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in China is 13.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 175 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 23.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in China peaked at 13.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024 and was at its lowest, 89.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1870.
That places China 1st out of 198 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.
Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 102.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 101.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1852 | 100.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1853 | 99.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1854 | 98.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1855 | 98.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1856 | 97.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1857 | 96.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1858 | 95.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1859 | 94.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1860 | 94.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1861 | 93.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1862 | 93.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1863 | 92.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1864 | 92.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1865 | 91.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1866 | 91.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1867 | 91.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1868 | 90.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1869 | 90.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1870 | 89.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1871 | 90.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1872 | 90.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1873 | 90.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1874 | 91.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1875 | 91.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1876 | 91.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1877 | 92.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1878 | 92.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1879 | 92.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1880 | 92.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1881 | 93.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1882 | 93.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1883 | 93.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1884 | 94.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1885 | 94.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1886 | 94.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1887 | 95.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1888 | 95.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1889 | 95.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1890 | 96.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1891 | 96.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1892 | 97.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1893 | 97.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1894 | 98.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1895 | 98.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1896 | 99.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1897 | 99.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1898 | 100.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1899 | 100.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1900 | 101.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1901 | 102.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1902 | 102.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1903 | 103.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1904 | 104.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1905 | 104.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1906 | 108.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1907 | 128.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +18.9% |
| 1908 | 133.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1909 | 135.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1910 | 136.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1911 | 138.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1912 | 128.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.0% |
| 1913 | 137.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.7% |
| 1914 | 141.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1915 | 141.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1916 | 148.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1917 | 151.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1918 | 155.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1919 | 160.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1920 | 164.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1921 | 163.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1922 | 165.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1923 | 173.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 1924 | 176.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1925 | 173.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1926 | 171.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1927 | 174.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1928 | 177.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1929 | 178.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1930 | 180.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1931 | 184.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1932 | 183.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 1933 | 188.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1934 | 198.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.5% |
| 1935 | 211.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.3% |
| 1936 | 216.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1937 | 211.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.1% |
| 1938 | 201.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.6% |
| 1939 | 217.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.9% |
| 1940 | 238.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.5% |
| 1941 | 266.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.8% |
| 1942 | 282.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.0% |
| 1943 | 262.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.2% |
| 1944 | 257.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.7% |
| 1945 | 202.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -21.6% |
| 1946 | 179.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -11.4% |
| 1947 | 185.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1948 | 180.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.7% |
| 1949 | 210.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.7% |
| 1950 | 231.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.6% |
| 1951 | 261.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.1% |
| 1952 | 294.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.8% |
| 1953 | 304.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1954 | 339.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.5% |
| 1955 | 377.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.1% |
| 1956 | 409.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.6% |
| 1957 | 459.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.2% |
| 1958 | 778.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +69.3% |
| 1959 | 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +29.7% |
| 1960 | 1.10 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.8% |
| 1961 | 832.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -24.3% |
| 1962 | 703.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -15.4% |
| 1963 | 703.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 709.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 757.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.8% |
| 1966 | 817.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.8% |
| 1967 | 716.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.3% |
| 1968 | 761.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 1969 | 893.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +17.4% |
| 1970 | 1.13 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +26.7% |
| 1971 | 1.24 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.2% |
| 1972 | 1.31 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.7% |
| 1973 | 1.35 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1974 | 1.38 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 1.56 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.2% |
| 1976 | 1.61 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 1.75 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.9% |
| 1978 | 1.93 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.3% |
| 1979 | 1.97 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 1.94 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 1.92 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 2.06 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.4% |
| 1983 | 2.16 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 2.34 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.1% |
| 1985 | 2.50 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 1986 | 2.61 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 1987 | 2.78 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.4% |
| 1988 | 2.96 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.6% |
| 1989 | 3.02 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 3.05 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 3.19 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 3.30 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 3.50 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.9% |
| 1994 | 3.69 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 3.99 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.0% |
| 1996 | 4.13 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 4.15 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 3.98 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 4.17 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 4.28 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 4.38 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 4.77 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.0% |
| 2003 | 5.58 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.9% |
| 2004 | 6.02 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.9% |
| 2005 | 6.75 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.2% |
| 2006 | 7.40 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.7% |
| 2007 | 7.93 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.1% |
| 2008 | 8.44 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 8.82 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 9.60 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.8% |
| 2011 | 10.61 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.5% |
| 2012 | 10.85 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 11.04 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 11.09 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 10.97 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 10.81 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 11.10 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 11.49 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 11.89 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 12.09 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 12.54 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 13.03 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.9% |
| 2023 | 13.53 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 13.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 13.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 29.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 465.5× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 13.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 28.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 488.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | +69.3% | 459.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 778.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1959 | +29.7% | 778.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1970 | +26.7% | 893.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.13 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 98.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 94.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 102.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 92.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 90.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 94.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 91.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 89.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 92.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 94.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 92.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 95.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 98.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 96.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 100.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 112.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 101.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 135.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 144.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 128.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 160.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 171.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 163.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 178.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 199.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 180.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 217.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 226.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 179.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 282.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 446.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 231.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 799.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 703.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.10 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.52 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.13 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.97 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.43 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.92 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.02 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.72 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.05 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.17 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.44 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.28 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.82 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.94 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.60 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.89 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.98 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12.09 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 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 total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in China?
- Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in China was 13.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 13.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024.
- What is the lowest total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 89.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1870.
- How does China rank for total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry?
- China ranks 1st out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.6%. 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 Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry. 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
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.