Total ghg emissions in United States
United States: Total ghg emissions was 6.05 billion in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
6.05 billion
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
2nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
7.43 billion
in 2005
All-time low
774.04 million
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Total ghg emissions in United States, 1850–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
United States recorded 6.05 billion for total ghg emissions in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total ghg emissions in United States peaked at 7.43 billion in 2005 and was at its lowest, 774.04 million, in 1850.
United States ranks 2nd of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total ghg emissions in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 774.04 million | — |
| 1851 | 832.39 million | +7.5% |
| 1852 | 858.09 million | +3.1% |
| 1853 | 901.41 million | +5.0% |
| 1854 | 929.10 million | +3.1% |
| 1855 | 948.98 million | +2.1% |
| 1856 | 967.10 million | +1.9% |
| 1857 | 990.70 million | +2.4% |
| 1858 | 1.02 billion | +2.9% |
| 1859 | 1.06 billion | +3.6% |
| 1860 | 986.39 million | -6.6% |
| 1861 | 916.30 million | -7.1% |
| 1862 | 914.57 million | -0.2% |
| 1863 | 924.49 million | +1.1% |
| 1864 | 907.62 million | -1.8% |
| 1865 | 883.38 million | -2.7% |
| 1866 | 872.64 million | -1.2% |
| 1867 | 893.19 million | +2.4% |
| 1868 | 891.66 million | -0.2% |
| 1869 | 883.89 million | -0.9% |
| 1870 | 1.13 billion | +27.7% |
| 1871 | 1.24 billion | +10.1% |
| 1872 | 1.33 billion | +7.1% |
| 1873 | 1.42 billion | +6.4% |
| 1874 | 1.47 billion | +3.6% |
| 1875 | 1.51 billion | +2.9% |
| 1876 | 1.55 billion | +2.5% |
| 1877 | 1.61 billion | +4.3% |
| 1878 | 1.66 billion | +2.8% |
| 1879 | 1.74 billion | +5.1% |
| 1880 | 1.67 billion | -4.2% |
| 1881 | 1.61 billion | -3.5% |
| 1882 | 1.65 billion | +2.5% |
| 1883 | 1.69 billion | +2.6% |
| 1884 | 1.70 billion | +0.3% |
| 1885 | 1.69 billion | -0.7% |
| 1886 | 1.71 billion | +1.1% |
| 1887 | 1.75 billion | +2.8% |
| 1888 | 1.82 billion | +3.6% |
| 1889 | 1.75 billion | -3.5% |
| 1890 | 1.91 billion | +8.7% |
| 1891 | 1.96 billion | +3.0% |
| 1892 | 1.98 billion | +1.1% |
| 1893 | 2.02 billion | +1.9% |
| 1894 | 1.99 billion | -1.4% |
| 1895 | 2.05 billion | +3.0% |
| 1896 | 2.06 billion | +0.6% |
| 1897 | 2.10 billion | +1.8% |
| 1898 | 2.17 billion | +3.4% |
| 1899 | 2.28 billion | +5.1% |
| 1900 | 2.27 billion | -0.6% |
| 1901 | 2.30 billion | +1.2% |
| 1902 | 2.34 billion | +2.1% |
| 1903 | 2.47 billion | +5.2% |
| 1904 | 2.47 billion | +0.3% |
| 1905 | 2.58 billion | +4.3% |
| 1906 | 2.63 billion | +1.7% |
| 1907 | 2.82 billion | +7.3% |
| 1908 | 2.65 billion | -5.8% |
| 1909 | 2.79 billion | +5.0% |
| 1910 | 2.86 billion | +2.6% |
| 1911 | 2.83 billion | -1.0% |
| 1912 | 2.86 billion | +1.1% |
| 1913 | 2.97 billion | +3.8% |
| 1914 | 2.83 billion | -4.5% |
| 1915 | 2.86 billion | +0.9% |
| 1916 | 3.00 billion | +4.9% |
| 1917 | 3.16 billion | +5.3% |
| 1918 | 3.25 billion | +3.0% |
| 1919 | 2.93 billion | -10.0% |
| 1920 | 3.22 billion | +10.1% |
| 1921 | 2.90 billion | -10.1% |
| 1922 | 2.90 billion | -0.0% |
| 1923 | 3.39 billion | +17.0% |
| 1924 | 3.15 billion | -7.0% |
| 1925 | 3.22 billion | +2.1% |
| 1926 | 3.35 billion | +4.3% |
| 1927 | 3.28 billion | -2.3% |
| 1928 | 3.23 billion | -1.5% |
| 1929 | 3.35 billion | +3.9% |
| 1930 | 3.04 billion | -9.4% |
| 1931 | 2.73 billion | -10.3% |
| 1932 | 2.42 billion | -11.3% |
| 1933 | 2.49 billion | +2.8% |
| 1934 | 2.57 billion | +3.5% |
| 1935 | 2.59 billion | +0.7% |
| 1936 | 2.82 billion | +8.9% |
| 1937 | 2.88 billion | +1.9% |
| 1938 | 2.55 billion | -11.3% |
| 1939 | 2.70 billion | +5.8% |
| 1940 | 2.97 billion | +10.1% |
| 1941 | 3.18 billion | +7.1% |
| 1942 | 3.37 billion | +5.8% |
| 1943 | 3.46 billion | +2.8% |
| 1944 | 3.67 billion | +5.9% |
| 1945 | 3.59 billion | -2.2% |
| 1946 | 3.49 billion | -2.7% |
| 1947 | 3.76 billion | +7.7% |
| 1948 | 3.88 billion | +3.2% |
| 1949 | 3.41 billion | -12.2% |
| 1950 | 3.75 billion | +9.9% |
| 1951 | 3.79 billion | +1.2% |
| 1952 | 3.69 billion | -2.7% |
| 1953 | 3.74 billion | +1.5% |
| 1954 | 3.61 billion | -3.6% |
| 1955 | 3.86 billion | +7.0% |
| 1956 | 4.01 billion | +3.8% |
| 1957 | 3.97 billion | -1.0% |
| 1958 | 3.86 billion | -2.6% |
| 1959 | 3.92 billion | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 4.00 billion | +2.1% |
| 1961 | 3.92 billion | -2.0% |
| 1962 | 4.17 billion | +6.4% |
| 1963 | 4.25 billion | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 4.40 billion | +3.6% |
| 1965 | 4.54 billion | +3.1% |
| 1966 | 4.73 billion | +4.2% |
| 1967 | 5.25 billion | +10.9% |
| 1968 | 5.68 billion | +8.3% |
| 1969 | 5.63 billion | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 5.82 billion | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 5.81 billion | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 6.01 billion | +3.4% |
| 1973 | 6.20 billion | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 6.01 billion | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 5.81 billion | -3.5% |
| 1976 | 6.03 billion | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 6.23 billion | +3.4% |
| 1978 | 6.31 billion | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 6.33 billion | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 6.17 billion | -2.6% |
| 1981 | 5.97 billion | -3.3% |
| 1982 | 5.72 billion | -4.2% |
| 1983 | 5.73 billion | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 5.89 billion | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 5.90 billion | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 5.84 billion | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 6.05 billion | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 6.27 billion | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 6.33 billion | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 6.49 billion | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 6.39 billion | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 6.46 billion | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 6.55 billion | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 6.69 billion | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 6.64 billion | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 6.81 billion | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 6.89 billion | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 6.93 billion | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 7.01 billion | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 7.22 billion | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 6.98 billion | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 7.06 billion | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 7.25 billion | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 7.31 billion | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 7.43 billion | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 7.06 billion | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 7.18 billion | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 7.07 billion | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 6.58 billion | -7.0% |
| 2010 | 6.82 billion | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 6.52 billion | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 6.39 billion | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 6.49 billion | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 6.61 billion | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 6.41 billion | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 6.31 billion | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 6.32 billion | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 6.47 billion | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 6.36 billion | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 5.76 billion | -9.5% |
| 2021 | 6.13 billion | +6.5% |
| 2022 | 6.20 billion | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 6.08 billion | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 6.05 billion | -0.4% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 6.05 billion is above the median for high income countries, which is 47.51 million, 127.4× the median. (67 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total ghg emissions in United States 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | +27.7% | 883.89 million | 1.13 billion |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 927.74 million | 774.04 million | 1.06 billion | 10 |
| 1860s | 907.41 million | 872.64 million | 986.39 million | 10 |
| 1870s | 1.47 billion | 1.13 billion | 1.74 billion | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.70 billion | 1.61 billion | 1.82 billion | 10 |
| 1890s | 2.05 billion | 1.91 billion | 2.28 billion | 10 |
| 1900s | 2.53 billion | 2.27 billion | 2.82 billion | 10 |
| 1910s | 2.96 billion | 2.83 billion | 3.25 billion | 10 |
| 1920s | 3.20 billion | 2.90 billion | 3.39 billion | 10 |
| 1930s | 2.68 billion | 2.42 billion | 3.04 billion | 10 |
| 1940s | 3.48 billion | 2.97 billion | 3.88 billion | 10 |
| 1950s | 3.82 billion | 3.61 billion | 4.01 billion | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.66 billion | 3.92 billion | 5.68 billion | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.06 billion | 5.81 billion | 6.33 billion | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.98 billion | 5.72 billion | 6.33 billion | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.69 billion | 6.39 billion | 7.01 billion | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.11 billion | 6.58 billion | 7.43 billion | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.47 billion | 6.31 billion | 6.82 billion | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.04 billion | 5.76 billion | 6.20 billion | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More climate change data for United States
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 274,482 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 60,922 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 213,560 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 229.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7,627 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 107,381 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 89,068 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 18,313 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 336.11 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 654.05 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total ghg emissions in United States?
- Total ghg emissions in United States was 6.05 billion in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total ghg emissions recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 7.43 billion in 2005.
- What is the lowest total ghg emissions recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 774.04 million in 1850.
- How does United States rank for total ghg emissions?
- United States ranks 2nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total ghg emissions rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Total ghg 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).