More than two thirds of global carbon dioxide emissions are caused by just 10 countries. Of these, China is the leader with over 30 %. It is followed by the USA with over 13 %. Despite all its efforts, Germany is still in the top 10 in the hit list of climate sinners.
Both the number of inhabitants and per capita emissions play a role in a country's total emissions. For example, one person in the USA produces around twice as much carbon dioxide as one person in Germany and almost seven times as much as one person in India. This also puts China's enormous emissions into perspective: due to its large population, its emissions of 7.9 tons per capita correspond to those of other industrialized countries such as Japan (8.2 t/capita) or Germany (6.9 t/capita) - and that despite the high proportion of export goods that appear in the Chinese emissions balance sheet.
Global carbon dioxide emissions and carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere are increasing continuously. Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions have more than doubled since 1970 and have even increased more than fifteenfold since the beginning of the last century. Energy-related emissions account for 87 % of total emissions. This shows that the energy transition is a key component in reducing CO2 emissions. It is good that the share of renewable energies is increasing faster than energy demand worldwide.
Emissions hardly rose at all between 2013 and 2016. This gives some hope that a stabilisation and then a trend reversal can be achieved. Emissions last fell in 2020, but this was due to the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the trend was not permanent: emissions records were set again in 2022 and 2023. Emissions are also expected to rise again in 2024.
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen from around 290 ppm in 1860 to over 420 ppm in 2024. A value of 450 ppm is widely regarded as the upper limit, which should not be exceeded if possible.
Germany has already used up its emissions budget, which makes the 1.5-degree target achievable, by 2024.
No. | Country | CO2 emissions in Gt | Per capita emissions in t |
1 | China | 11,22 | 7,9 |
2 | USA | 4,64 | 13,6 |
3 | India | 2,81 | 2,0 |
4 | Russia | 1,61 | 11,2 |
5 | Japan | 1,01 | 8,2 |
6 | Indonesia | 0,70 | 2,5 |
7 | Iran | 0,68 | 7,7 |
8 | Saudi-Arabia | 0,62 | 16,8 |
9 | Germany | 0,57 | 6,9 |
10 | South Korea | 0,57 | 11,0 |
The top 10 countries with the highest emissions are together responsible for 70 % of global emissions.
Source: Energy Institute, Statistical Review of World Energy 2024
*Data on Russia from 1985, before that USSR.
Source: Energy Institute, Statistical Review of World Energy 2024
Year | CO2 emissions1 in Gt | CO2 concentration in the atmosphere2 in ppm |
2023 | 35.1 | 419 |
2022 | 34.6 | 417 |
2021 | 34.0 | 415 |
2020 | 32.3 | 412 |
2019 | 34.1 | 410 |
2018 | 34.1 | 408 |
2017 | 33.3 | 405 |
2016 | 32.8 | 403 |
2015 | 32.8 | 400 |
2014 | 32.8 | 397 |
2013 | 32.7 | 395 |
2012 | 32.3 | 393 |
2011 | 31.9 | 391 |
2010 | 31.1 | 389 |
2009 | 29.8 | 387 |
2008 | 30.4 | 385 |
2007 | 30.1 | 383 |
2006 | 29.1 | 381 |
2005 | 28.2 | 379 |
2004 | 27.1 | 377 |
2003 | 25.8 | 375 |
2002 | 24.6 | 373 |
2001 | 24.0 | 371 |
2000 | 23.7 | 369 |
1999 | 23.1 | 368 |
1998 | 22.8 | 366 |
1997 | 22.8 | 363 |
1996 | 22.6 | 362 |
1995 | 22.0 | 360 |
1994 | 21.7 | 358 |
1993 | 21.5 | 357 |
1992 | 21.4 | 356 |
1991 | 21.3 | 355 |
1990 | 21.3 | 354 |
1989 | 21.2 | 353 |
1988 | 20.9 | 351 |
1987 | 20.2 | 349 |
1986 | 19.6 | 347 |
1985 | 19.2 | 346 |
1984 | 18.8 | 344 |
1983 | 18.2 | 343 |
1982 | 18.0 | 341 |
1981 | 18.1 | 340 |
1980 | 18.4 | 339 |
1979 | 18.6 | 337 |
1978 | 18.0 | 333 |
1977 | 17.6 | 332 |
1976 | 17.1 | 331 |
1975 | 16.2 | 330 |
1974 | 16.2 | 328 |
1973 | 16.3 | 327 |
1972 | 15.5 | 326 |
1971 | 14.8 | 325 |
1970 | 14.3 | 324 |
1965 | 10.9 | 319 |
1960 | 9.1 | 316 |
1955 | 7.3 | 313 |
1950 | 5.8 | 311 |
1940 | 5.0 | 310 |
1930 | 4.1 | 307 |
1920 | 3.7 | 303 |
1910 | 3.2 | 299 |
1900 | 2.1 | 296 |
1860 | 0.4 | 286 |
Volker Quaschning, Jan 2025.