Greenhouse gas emissions in China
China: Greenhouse gas emissions was 14.11 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
14.11 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
1st
of 199 countries
All-time high
14.11 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2024
All-time low
247.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1875
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Greenhouse gas emissions in China, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
China recorded 14.11 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents for greenhouse gas emissions 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 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions in China peaked at 14.11 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024 and was at its lowest, 247.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1875.
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.
Greenhouse gas emissions in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 423.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 418.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 1852 | 410.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 1853 | 400.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 1854 | 394.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1855 | 387.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.8% |
| 1856 | 380.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 1857 | 375.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 1858 | 368.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 1859 | 362.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1860 | 349.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 1861 | 330.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.5% |
| 1862 | 320.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
| 1863 | 313.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.1% |
| 1864 | 307.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 1865 | 283.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.6% |
| 1866 | 276.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.6% |
| 1867 | 265.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 1868 | 258.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
| 1869 | 249.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.4% |
| 1870 | 251.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1871 | 250.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1872 | 255.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1873 | 252.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1874 | 254.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1875 | 247.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.8% |
| 1876 | 252.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1877 | 258.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1878 | 257.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 1879 | 263.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1880 | 275.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.7% |
| 1881 | 292.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.3% |
| 1882 | 302.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1883 | 308.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1884 | 312.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1885 | 307.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.4% |
| 1886 | 321.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.3% |
| 1887 | 327.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1888 | 332.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1889 | 342.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1890 | 363.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 1891 | 377.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.9% |
| 1892 | 377.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1893 | 383.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1894 | 392.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1895 | 391.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.3% |
| 1896 | 399.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1897 | 412.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1898 | 419.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1899 | 424.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1900 | 444.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.7% |
| 1901 | 466.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.0% |
| 1902 | 472.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1903 | 480.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1904 | 485.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1905 | 491.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1906 | 503.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1907 | 531.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1908 | 540.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1909 | 554.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1910 | 570.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1911 | 598.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.0% |
| 1912 | 595.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1913 | 603.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1914 | 632.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.9% |
| 1915 | 643.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1916 | 650.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1917 | 667.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1918 | 679.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1919 | 684.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1920 | 678.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1921 | 671.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.1% |
| 1922 | 665.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1923 | 683.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1924 | 684.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1925 | 690.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1926 | 684.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1927 | 690.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1928 | 692.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1929 | 711.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1930 | 754.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.1% |
| 1931 | 780.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1932 | 800.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1933 | 814.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1934 | 842.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1935 | 866.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1936 | 878.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1937 | 882.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1938 | 884.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1939 | 912.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1940 | 977.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.1% |
| 1941 | 1.03 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1942 | 1.06 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1943 | 1.07 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1944 | 1.07 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1945 | 1.04 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.4% |
| 1946 | 1.03 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1947 | 1.04 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1948 | 1.04 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.3% |
| 1949 | 1.08 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.2% |
| 1950 | 1.34 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +23.9% |
| 1951 | 1.60 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +19.2% |
| 1952 | 1.40 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.2% |
| 1953 | 1.35 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 1954 | 1.57 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.0% |
| 1955 | 1.56 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 1956 | 1.48 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.1% |
| 1957 | 1.50 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1958 | 1.58 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.2% |
| 1959 | 1.71 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.9% |
| 1960 | 1.74 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1961 | 1.84 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.9% |
| 1962 | 1.77 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.5% |
| 1963 | 1.88 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.8% |
| 1964 | 1.80 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.1% |
| 1965 | 2.06 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.6% |
| 1966 | 1.94 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.6% |
| 1967 | 1.64 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -15.8% |
| 1968 | 1.77 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.9% |
| 1969 | 2.40 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +35.5% |
| 1970 | 2.49 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.0% |
| 1971 | 2.29 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.1% |
| 1972 | 2.84 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +23.9% |
| 1973 | 2.80 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.4% |
| 1974 | 2.82 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 2.88 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 2.81 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 3.34 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +19.1% |
| 1978 | 3.71 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.8% |
| 1979 | 3.23 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.8% |
| 1980 | 3.18 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1981 | 3.10 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.5% |
| 1982 | 3.23 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 3.33 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 3.46 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 3.56 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 3.68 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1987 | 3.85 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.5% |
| 1988 | 4.06 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.5% |
| 1989 | 4.14 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 4.21 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 4.32 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 4.45 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 4.59 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 4.90 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.8% |
| 1995 | 5.15 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.1% |
| 1996 | 5.36 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 5.32 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 5.20 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 5.34 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 5.28 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 5.28 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5.60 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.0% |
| 2003 | 6.37 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.8% |
| 2004 | 6.84 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.3% |
| 2005 | 7.55 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.4% |
| 2006 | 8.22 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.8% |
| 2007 | 8.70 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.9% |
| 2008 | 9.24 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 2009 | 9.64 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 10.31 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 2011 | 11.35 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.1% |
| 2012 | 11.53 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 11.69 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 11.69 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 11.64 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 11.38 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 11.62 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 11.99 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 12.32 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 12.52 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 12.96 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 13.45 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.8% |
| 2023 | 13.93 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 2024 | 14.11 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 14.11 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 42.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 330.4× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 14.11 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 61.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 230.6× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where 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 | +35.5% | 1.77 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.40 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 392.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 362.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 423.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 295.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 249.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 349.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 254.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 247.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 263.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 312.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 275.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 342.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 394.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 363.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 424.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 497.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 444.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 554.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 632.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 570.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 684.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 685.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 665.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 711.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 841.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 754.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 912.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.04 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 977.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.08 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.51 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.34 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.71 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.88 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.64 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.40 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.92 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.29 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.71 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.56 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.10 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.14 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.88 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.21 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.36 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.27 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.28 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.64 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.55 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.31 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12.32 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.39 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12.52 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14.11 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 greenhouse gas emissions in China?
- Greenhouse gas emissions in China was 14.11 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 greenhouse gas emissions recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 14.11 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 247.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1875.
- How does China rank for greenhouse gas emissions?
- China ranks 1st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.7%. 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 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
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.