Greenhouse gas emissions in Japan
Japan: Greenhouse gas emissions was 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
8th
of 199 countries
All-time high
1.35 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2013
All-time low
21.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Greenhouse gas emissions in Japan, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
Japan recorded 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents for greenhouse gas emissions in 2024.
The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 22.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions in Japan peaked at 1.35 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2013 and was at its lowest, 21.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1850.
That places Japan 8th 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 Japan, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 21.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 22.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1852 | 22.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1853 | 22.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1854 | 23.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1855 | 22.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.1% |
| 1856 | 22.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1857 | 23.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1858 | 23.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1859 | 23.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1860 | 23.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1861 | 24.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1862 | 24.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1863 | 24.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1864 | 24.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.2% |
| 1865 | 24.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1866 | 24.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 1867 | 24.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.8% |
| 1868 | 24.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1869 | 24.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1870 | 25.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1871 | 25.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1872 | 26.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1873 | 27.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1874 | 28.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1875 | 29.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.5% |
| 1876 | 30.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1877 | 30.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1878 | 31.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1879 | 32.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.8% |
| 1880 | 33.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1881 | 34.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1882 | 34.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1883 | 37.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 1884 | 35.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.0% |
| 1885 | 37.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1886 | 38.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1887 | 39.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1888 | 40.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1889 | 42.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.0% |
| 1890 | 45.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 1891 | 48.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.2% |
| 1892 | 48.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1893 | 49.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1894 | 54.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.8% |
| 1895 | 55.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1896 | 58.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.5% |
| 1897 | 59.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1898 | 63.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.0% |
| 1899 | 65.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.0% |
| 1900 | 69.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.3% |
| 1901 | 74.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 1902 | 76.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1903 | 78.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1904 | 82.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.0% |
| 1905 | 85.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.8% |
| 1906 | 88.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.8% |
| 1907 | 90.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1908 | 95.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.9% |
| 1909 | 98.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1910 | 98.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1911 | 105.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.1% |
| 1912 | 113.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 1913 | 115.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1914 | 123.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.8% |
| 1915 | 113.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.2% |
| 1916 | 126.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.3% |
| 1917 | 133.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.3% |
| 1918 | 141.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.9% |
| 1919 | 149.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.6% |
| 1920 | 143.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 1921 | 138.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.0% |
| 1922 | 146.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.8% |
| 1923 | 152.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 1924 | 159.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.2% |
| 1925 | 162.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1926 | 166.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1927 | 174.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.1% |
| 1928 | 176.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1929 | 181.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.0% |
| 1930 | 171.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.6% |
| 1931 | 164.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.2% |
| 1932 | 167.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1933 | 183.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.3% |
| 1934 | 195.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.4% |
| 1935 | 199.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1936 | 210.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1937 | 219.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1938 | 229.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.2% |
| 1939 | 228.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1940 | 256.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.6% |
| 1941 | 258.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1942 | 254.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1943 | 259.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1944 | 250.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.4% |
| 1945 | 183.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -26.6% |
| 1946 | 159.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.4% |
| 1947 | 181.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.4% |
| 1948 | 201.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.9% |
| 1949 | 212.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.5% |
| 1950 | 222.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1951 | 238.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.4% |
| 1952 | 251.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1953 | 272.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.2% |
| 1954 | 263.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.3% |
| 1955 | 267.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1956 | 286.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.1% |
| 1957 | 318.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.2% |
| 1958 | 308.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.3% |
| 1959 | 336.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.2% |
| 1960 | 371.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.3% |
| 1961 | 417.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.5% |
| 1962 | 425.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1963 | 457.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.5% |
| 1964 | 489.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.0% |
| 1965 | 516.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1966 | 543.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.2% |
| 1967 | 623.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.9% |
| 1968 | 692.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.0% |
| 1969 | 791.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.2% |
| 1970 | 903.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.1% |
| 1971 | 923.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1972 | 976.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.7% |
| 1973 | 1.03 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.2% |
| 1974 | 1.02 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 968.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.3% |
| 1976 | 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.9% |
| 1977 | 1.03 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 998.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.1% |
| 1979 | 1.05 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.0% |
| 1980 | 1.03 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 1982 | 985.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.8% |
| 1983 | 968.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 1.03 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 1985 | 999.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
| 1986 | 996.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 980.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 1.07 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.8% |
| 1989 | 1.10 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 1.23 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.7% |
| 1991 | 1.24 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 1.25 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 1.24 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 1.30 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 1.31 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 1.32 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 1.31 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 1.27 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 1.30 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 1.32 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 1.30 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 1.32 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 1.33 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.32 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 1.33 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 1.30 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 1.34 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 1.27 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.4% |
| 2009 | 1.19 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.0% |
| 2010 | 1.25 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 1.30 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 1.34 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 1.35 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 1.30 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 1.26 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 1.24 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 1.23 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 1.18 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 1.14 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 1.08 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.4% |
| 2021 | 1.11 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 1.08 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 1.03 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.3% |
| 2024 | 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.4% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for high income countries, which is 47.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 21.2× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Japan's 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 61.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 16.5× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Greenhouse gas emissions in Japan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | -26.6% | 250.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 183.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 22.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 21.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 23.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 24.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 23.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 24.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 28.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 25.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 32.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 37.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 33.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 42.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 54.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 45.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 65.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 83.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 69.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 98.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 122.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 98.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 149.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 160.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 138.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 181.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 196.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 164.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 229.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 221.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 159.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 259.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 276.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 222.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 336.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 532.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 371.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 791.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 990.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 903.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.05 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.02 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 968.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.10 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.27 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.23 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.32 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.30 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.19 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.34 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.26 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.14 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.35 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.06 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.11 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 5 Russia 2.73 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 6 Indonesia 1.90 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 7 Iran 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 9 Saudi Arabia 821.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 10 Canada 802.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 11 Democratic Republic of Congo 680.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
More climate change data for Japan
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 337.64 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 12,181 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,633 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 8,547 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 13.71 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 305.27 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 9,462 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,401 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 7,061 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 9.06 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions in Japan?
- Greenhouse gas emissions in Japan was 1.01 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.35 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2013.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1850.
- How does Japan rank for greenhouse gas emissions?
- Japan ranks 8th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan 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.