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US vs China CO2 per capita
United States has held the lead throughout the published window. In 1970 China stood at roughly 5% of United States’s CO2 per capita; today the figure is about 68%.
| Year | United States | China | China as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 22.41 | 1.11 | 5% |
| 1970 | 22.41 | 1.11 | 5% |
| 1980 | 21.04 | 1.59 | 8% |
| 1990 | 19.96 | 2.13 | 11% |
| 2000 | 21.01 | 2.89 | 14% |
| 2010 | 17.85 | 6.81 | 38% |
| 2020 | 13.47 | 8.48 | 63% |
| 2024 | 13.62 | 9.32 | 68% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States pass China in CO2 per capita?
It has not come to that. United States has posted the larger CO2 per capita in every published year (1970–2024).
How do United States and China compare today?
United States is ahead: 13.62 against 9.32 — the trailing economy stands at about 68% of the leader.
Are these CO2 per capita figures nominal or adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — metric tons per capita — with no interpolation or estimation for missing years.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: