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Environment · East Asia & Pacific · Upper-middle income

China: environment and emissions

CO₂ per person is 9.32 t (2024), 22nd of 203 in the world and 7th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific. GHG per person is 11.03 t (2024), 29th of 203 in the world and 9th of 37 in East Asia & Pacific. GHG emissions is 15,536.1 Mt (2024), 1st of 203 in the world and 1st of 37 in East Asia & Pacific.

CO₂ per person9.32 t2024 · world 22/203 · region 7/37GHG per person11.03 t2024 · world 29/203 · region 9/37GHG emissions15,536.1 Mt2024 · world 1/203 · region 1/37CO₂ emissions13,124.7 Mt2024 · world 1/203 · region 1/37
CO₂ per person
ChinaEast Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
0.02.55.07.510199520002005201020152020China9.32 tEast Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
GHG per person
ChinaEast Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
0.05.01015199520002005201020152020China11.03 tEast Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
15 indicators

Environment: China in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
CO₂ per personCO₂ emissions per capita, tonnes9.32 t202422/2037/372.89 t6.81 t8.48 t+17%since 20147.35 t6.38 t4.69 t
GHG per personGreenhouse gas emissions per person, t CO₂e11.03 t202429/2039/374.01 t8.27 t10.08 t+16%since 20149.06 t8.33 t6.36 t
GHG emissionsTotal greenhouse gas emissions excl. land use, Mt CO₂e15,536.1 Mt20241/2031/375,063.9 Mt11,062.0 Mt14,230.2 Mt+19%since 201421,426.8 Mt25,498.1 Mt53,206.4 Mt
CO₂ emissionsCO₂ emissions, total excl. land use, Mt13,124.7 Mt20241/2031/373,647.9 Mt9,106.0 Mt11,964.1 Mt+21%since 201417,388.8 Mt19,521.7 Mt39,632.7 Mt
MethaneMethane emissions, Mt CO₂e1,485.3 Mt20241/2031/371,035.8 Mt1,342.2 Mt1,459.4 Mt+2.1%since 20142,697.1 Mt4,229.1 Mt9,536.5 Mt
Renewable energyRenewable energy, % of final energy consumption15.2%2021122/21215/3729.6%12.3%14.9%+3.9 ppsince 201114.8%16.8%19.7%
Renewable powerRenewable electricity, % of output28.4%202192/20610/3516.6%18.8%28.1%+11.6 ppsince 201125.9%29.3%27.8%
PM2.5 exposurePM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure, µg/m³32.0 µg/m³202343/2003/3345.3 µg/m³49.0 µg/m³33.7 µg/m³−38%since 201327.3 µg/m³26.7 µg/m³32.9 µg/m³
Forest coverForest area, % of land area24.0%2024122/21429/3518.9%21.4%23.3%+1.8 ppsince 201427.3%29.2%31.1%
FarmlandAgricultural land, % of land area41.7%202492/2108/3646.2%45.0%41.6%−1.8 ppsince 201446.8%42.8%36.9%
Arable landArable land, % of land area11.6%202488/2069/3412.6%12.8%11.6%−0.8 ppsince 20148.7%9.8%10.7%
Protected areasTerrestrial and marine protected areas, % of territory14.7%202592/21312/36··14.7%−1.2 ppsince 201522.0%12.8%17.0%
Water withdrawalsFreshwater withdrawals, % of internal resources20.2%202259/1775/2019.6%20.9%20.2%−1.1 ppsince 201212.1%8.9%9.0%
Freshwater per personRenewable internal freshwater per person, m³1,992 m³2022106/18320/232,228 m³2,103 m³1,993 m³−4.1%since 20124,306 m³6,090 m³5,393 m³
Cereal yieldCereal yield, kg per hectare6,495 kg/ha202423/1794/244,753 kg/ha5,529 kg/ha6,298 kg/ha+10%since 20145,430 kg/ha4,942 kg/ha4,229 kg/ha
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

China and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with China. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorChinaIndiaPakistanRussiaJapanVietnam
CO₂ per person9.32 t20242.17 t20240.81 t202413.98 t20247.84 t20244.27 t2024
GHG per person11.03 t20243.01 t20242.09 t202417.93 t20248.58 t20245.79 t2024
GHG emissions15,536.1 Mt20244,371.2 Mt2024525.9 Mt20242,575.7 Mt20241,063.3 Mt2024584.3 Mt2024
CO₂ emissions13,124.7 Mt20243,153.8 Mt2024204.0 Mt20242,009.2 Mt2024972.3 Mt2024430.8 Mt2024
Methane1,485.3 Mt2024861.6 Mt2024250.9 Mt2024416.9 Mt202450.9 Mt2024116.5 Mt2024
Renewable energy15.2%202134.9%202141.6%20213.5%20218.8%202124.2%2021
Renewable power28.4%202119.1%202128.3%202119.2%202121.1%202141.2%2021
PM2.5 exposure32.0 µg/m³202354.1 µg/m³202358.4 µg/m³202311.6 µg/m³202311.5 µg/m³202324.8 µg/m³2023
Forest cover24.0%202424.4%20244.1%202450.8%202468.3%202447.1%2024
India: environmentPakistan: environmentRussia: environmentJapan: environmentVietnam: environment
Environment in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedEnvironment: upper-middle-income countries59 economies rankedEnvironment: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesChina: all key statisticscountry profile