ClimateRanking race29 October 2026

The countries emitting the most CO₂, 1850 to 2024

Who polluted the planet the most, year after year? Every country's yearly CO₂ emissions since 1850, from Global Carbon Project data.

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#1 in 1850: United Kingdom, birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, now 18th. #1 in 2024: China, 32% of the world's CO₂. But since 1750, the biggest cumulative emitter is still United States (434.9 Gt), ahead of China (285.1 Gt).

All 193 countries in 2024

Yearly CO₂ emissions · Mt = million tonnes · Gt = billion tonnes

Rank	Name	Value
1	China	12.3 Gt
2	United States	4.9 Gt
3	India	3.2 Gt

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Source: Our World in Data / Global Carbon Project

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The countries emitting the most CO₂, 1850 to 2024

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All 193 countries in 2024

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