Greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Greenhouse gas emissions was 38.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
38.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
111th
of 199 countries
All-time high
50.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2014
All-time low
35,460 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
Hong Kong recorded 38.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents for greenhouse gas emissions in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and down 23.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong peaked at 50.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2014 and was at its lowest, 35,460 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1850.
Hong Kong ranks 111th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 | 40,870 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 35,460 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 46,156 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 51,888 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 47,264 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 56,459 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 64,993 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 57,488 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 73,170 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 79,981 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 74,582 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 85,227 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 96,132 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 86,622 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 105,870 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 124,957 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 108,124 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 142,028 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 162,065 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 145,811 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 178,201 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 196,301 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 181,756 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 210,697 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 301,671 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 214,217 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 423,232 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 482,920 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 387,498 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 607,013 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 14.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 18.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 19.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 34.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 31.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 47.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 42.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 48.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 45.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 50.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 36.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 39.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
- 108 Switzerland 40.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 109 Afghanistan 39.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 110 Cuba 39.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 112 Nicaragua 38.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 113 Syria 38.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 114 Senegal 35.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
More climate change data for Hong Kong
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.0% (2100)
- Population growth -0.3% (2025)
- Population, total 7.50 million (2025)
- Urban population growth -0.3% (2025)
- Urban population 7.50 million (2025)
- Urban population 100.0% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 4.49 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 1.75 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 4.49 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 4.49 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong?
- Greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong was 38.91 million 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 Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 50.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2014.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 35,460 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1850.
- How does Hong Kong rank for greenhouse gas emissions?
- Hong Kong ranks 111th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Hong Kong 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.