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Carbon intensity of the economy — all countries

Carbon intensity of the economy — China

Carbon intensity of the economy in China in 2022 — 0.434 kg/$. Ranked 146 in the world out of 164. Since 1911, the indicator has risen by 578.1%.

2022 0.434 kg/$ +0.7% vs 2021
World rank 146of 164
Period maximum 1.133 kg/$1960
Period minimum 0.056 kg/$1913

Trend over time

1911–2022 · kg CO₂ per PPP $

Carbon intensity of the economy — China, 1911–202200.511.519111923193519471959197119831995200720191911: 0.064 kg/$1929: 0.099 kg/$1931: 0.104 kg/$1933: 0.117 kg/$1935: 0.143 kg/$1937: 0.134 kg/$1950: 0.18 kg/$1952: 0.215 kg/$1954: 0.258 kg/$1956: 0.292 kg/$1958: 0.685 kg/$1960: 1.133 kg/$1962: 0.746 kg/$1964: 0.573 kg/$1966: 0.593 kg/$1968: 0.543 kg/$1970: 0.706 kg/$1972: 0.785 kg/$1974: 0.752 kg/$1976: 0.867 kg/$1978: 0.895 kg/$1980: 0.789 kg/$1982: 0.755 kg/$1984: 0.728 kg/$1986: 0.718 kg/$1988: 0.723 kg/$1990: 0.734 kg/$1992: 0.727 kg/$1994: 0.697 kg/$1996: 0.682 kg/$1998: 0.628 kg/$2000: 0.612 kg/$2002: 0.601 kg/$2004: 0.665 kg/$2006: 0.684 kg/$2008: 0.694 kg/$2010: 0.67 kg/$2012: 0.661 kg/$2014: 0.583 kg/$2016: 0.499 kg/$2018: 0.464 kg/$2020: 0.451 kg/$2022: 0.434 kg/$
Change over the period: +0.37 (+578.13%) Average annual rate: 1.74 %

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: China

China 0.434 kg/$
World computed 0.273 kg/$
Eastern Asia computed 0.388 kg/$
Upper-middle-income countries computed 0.349 kg/$
Carbon intensity of the economy — China, by year China All countries CSV XLSX
Year kg/$ Change Change, %
2022 0.434 +0.003 +0.7%
2021 0.431 −0.02 −4.43%
2020 0.451 −0.002 −0.44%
2019 0.453 −0.011 −2.37%
2018 0.464 −0.015 −3.13%
2017 0.479 −0.02 −4.01%
2016 0.499 −0.04 −7.42%
2015 0.539 −0.044 −7.55%
2014 0.583 −0.041 −6.57%
2013 0.624 −0.037 −5.6%
2012 0.661 −0.034 −4.89%
2011 0.695 +0.025 +3.73%
2010 0.67 −0.011 −1.62%
2009 0.681 −0.013 −1.87%
2008 0.694 +0.021 +3.12%
2007 0.673 −0.011 −1.61%
2006 0.684 +0 +0%
2005 0.684 +0.019 +2.86%
2004 0.665 −0.002 −0.3%
2003 0.667 +0.066 +10.98%
2002 0.601 +0.013 +2.21%
2001 0.588 −0.024 −3.92%
2000 0.612 −0.024 −3.77%
1999 0.636 +0.008 +1.27%
1998 0.628 −0.036 −5.42%
1997 0.664 −0.018 −2.64%
1996 0.682 −0.015 −2.15%
1995 0.697 +0 +0%
1994 0.697 −0.009 −1.27%
1993 0.706 −0.021 −2.89%
1992 0.727 −0.019 −2.55%
1991 0.746 +0.012 +1.63%
1990 0.734 +0.006 +0.82%
1989 0.728 +0.005 +0.69%
1988 0.723 +0.013 +1.83%
1987 0.71 −0.008 −1.11%
1986 0.718 −0.008 −1.1%
1985 0.726 −0.002 −0.27%
1984 0.728 −0.015 −2.02%
1983 0.743 −0.012 −1.59%
1982 0.755 −0.002 −0.26%
1981 0.757 −0.032 −4.06%
1980 0.789 −0.058 −6.85%
1979 0.847 −0.048 −5.36%
1978 0.895 −0.003 −0.33%
1977 0.898 +0.031 +3.58%
1976 0.867 +0.057 +7.04%
1975 0.81 +0.058 +7.71%
1974 0.752 −0.004 −0.53%
1973 0.756 −0.029 −3.69%
1972 0.785 +0.037 +4.95%
1971 0.748 +0.042 +5.95%
1970 0.706 +0.102 +16.89%
1969 0.604 +0.061 +11.23%
1968 0.543 +0.05 +10.14%
1967 0.493 −0.1 −16.86%
1966 0.593 +0.035 +6.27%
1965 0.558 −0.015 −2.62%
1964 0.573 −0.074 −11.44%
1963 0.647 −0.099 −13.27%
1962 0.746 −0.243 −24.57%
1961 0.989 −0.144 −12.71%
1960 1.133 +0.165 +17.05%
1959 0.968 +0.283 +41.31%
1958 0.685 +0.349 +103.87%
1957 0.336 +0.044 +15.07%
1956 0.292 +0.012 +4.29%
1955 0.28 +0.022 +8.53%
1954 0.258 +0.059 +29.65%
1953 0.199 −0.016 −7.44%
1952 0.215 +0.022 +11.4%
1951 0.193 +0.013 +7.22%
1950 0.18 — —
1938 0.119 −0.015 −11.19%
1937 0.134 −0.006 −4.29%
1936 0.14 −0.003 −2.1%
1935 0.143 +0.011 +8.33%
1934 0.132 +0.015 +12.82%
1933 0.117 +0.02 +20.62%
1932 0.097 −0.007 −6.73%
1931 0.104 +0.004 +4%
1930 0.1 +0.001 +1.01%
1929 0.099 — —
1913 0.056 — —
1911 0.064 — —

Eastern Asia, 2022

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

HK Hong Kong 0.086 JP Japan 0.216 TW Taiwan 0.22 KR South Korea 0.284 CN China 0.434 MN Mongolia 0.903 KP North Korea 1.39
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

Carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product at purchasing power parity. The indicator answers how cleanly a country produces value, and it separates two different paths to lower emissions: producing less, and emitting less per unit produced. Global carbon intensity has been falling almost without interruption since the 1970s, but more slowly than output has grown — which is why absolute emissions kept rising.

Important: The aggregate for groups of countries is weighted by GDP at PPP, which is exactly the sum of emissions divided by the sum of GDP. The conversion is at PPP rather than at market exchange rates — otherwise poor countries would look carbon-intensive simply because their prices are low.

Source: CO₂ and GHG Emissions (Our World in Data), license CC BY 4.0.

Other indicators for China

Emissions CO2 emissions

Annual carbon dioxide emissions from burning fuel and producing cement.

China by year Emissions CO2 emissions from coal

How much carbon dioxide comes from burning coal — the dirtiest of the fuels.

China by year Economy GDP at purchasing power parity

The size of the economy in international dollars — adjusted for price differences between countries.

China by year Emissions CO2 emissions per capita

How many tonnes of carbon dioxide each resident of a country accounts for in a year.

China by year
All indicators for China