The World’s Top 25 CO2 Emissions Generating Countries: Who Produces the Most Carbon Dioxide?

Topping this list as it tops so many others is China. No country on earth produces more CO2 than China, and it isn’t even close. The next closest culprit — the United States — produces half as much CO2 as China.

China creates almost double the emissions of second-placed the United States, which is in turn responsible for more than twice the level of third-placed India. Just two countries, China and the United States, are responsible for more than 40 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.

Collectively, the world’s top 15 CO2 emissions-generating countries are responsible for 72% of global carbon dioxide emissions. To determine the top 25 countries emitting the most carbon dioxide, CEOWORLD magazine ranked nations based on territorial emissions – millions of metric tons of carbon emitted from fossil fuels, change from CO2 emissions, and methane emissions within a nation’s borders – published by the Global Carbon Project 2018. Here we list the 25 countries that emitted the most carbon dioxide.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Country: Who Produces the Most CO2?

1. China
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 9,838.8 million metric tons
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 7.1 metric tons
   Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 270.3%
   Methane emissions (2012): 1,752.3 million metric tons (CO2e)
   Population (2017): 1.39 billion
   GDP per capita (2017): $15,309
2. United States
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 5,269.5 million metric tons
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 16.2 metric tons
   Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 1.8%
   Methane emissions (2012): 499.8 million metric tons (CO2e)
   Population (2017): 325.1 million
   GDP per capita (2017): $54,471
3. India
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 2,466.8 million metric tons
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 1.8 metric tons
   Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 253.0%
   Methane emissions (2012): 636.4 million metric tons (CO2e)
   Population (2017): 1.34 billion
   GDP per capita (2017): $6,514
4. Russia
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 1,692.8 million metric tons
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 11.7 metric tons
   Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: -15.1%
   Methane emissions (2012): 545.8 million metric tons (CO2e)
   Population (2017): 144.5 million
   GDP per capita (2017): $24,790
5. Japan
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 1,205.1 million metric tons
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 9.5 metric tons
   Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 2.4%
   Methane emissions (2012): 39.0 million metric tons (CO2e)
   Population (2017): 126.8 million
   GDP per capita (2017): $39,011
6. Germany
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 799.4 million metric tons
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 9.7 metric tons
   Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: -17.3%
   Methane emissions (2012): 55.7 million metric tons (CO2e)
   Population (2017): 82.7 million
   GDP per capita (2017): $45,446
7. Iran
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 672.3 million metric tons
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 8.3 metric tons
   Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 196.2%
   Methane emissions (2012): 121.3 million metric tons (CO2e)
   Population (2017): 81.2 million
   GDP per capita (2017): $18,983
8. Saudi Arabia
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 635.0 million metric tons
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 19.3 metric tons
   Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 122.8%
   Methane emissions (2012): 62.9 million metric tons (CO2e)
   Population (2017): 32.9 million
   GDP per capita (2017): $48,986
9. South Korea
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 616.1 million metric tons
   CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 12.0 metric tons
   Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 118.3%
   Methane emissions (2012): 32.6 million metric tons (CO2e)
   Population (2017): 51.5 million
   GDP per capita (2017): $35,938
10. Canada
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 572.8 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 15.6 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 22.2%
    Methane emissions (2012): 106.8 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 36.7 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $44,018
11. Mexico
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 490.3 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 3.8 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 46.7%
    Methane emissions (2012): 116.7 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 129.2 million
    DP per capita (2017): $17,331
12. Indonesia
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 486.8 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 1.8 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 139.0%
    Methane emissions (2012): 223.3 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 264.0 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $11,189
13. Brazil
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 476.1 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 2.3 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 118.0%
    Methane emissions (2012): 477.1 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 209.3 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $14,137
14. South Africa
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 456.3 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 8.0 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 51.6%
    Methane emissions (2012): 63.2 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 56.7 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $12,294
15. Turkey
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 447.9 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 5.5 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 181.6%
    Methane emissions (2012): 78.9 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 80.7 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $25,135
16. Australia
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 413.1 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 16.8 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 45.0%
    Methane emissions (2012): 125.6 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 24.6 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $44,643
17. United Kingdom
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 384.7 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 5.8 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: -35.2%
    Methane emissions (2012): 59.0 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 66.0 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $39,884
18. France
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 356.3 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 5.3 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: -14.9%
    Methane emissions (2012): 81.2 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 67.1 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $38,808
19. Italy
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 355.45 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 5.9 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: -19.1%
    Methane emissions (2012): 35.2 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 60.5 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $35,343
20. Thailand
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 330.84 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 4.8 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 206.1%
    Methane emissions (2012): 106.5 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 69.0 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $16,279
21. Poland
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 326.6 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 8.6 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: -10.2%
    Methane emissions (2012): 65.1 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 38.0 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $27,344
22. Kazakhstan
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 292.6 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 16.2 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 25.6%
    Methane emissions (2012): 71.4 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 18.0 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $24,079
23. Spain
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 281.4 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 6.0 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 12.4%
    Methane emissions (2012): 37.2 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 46.6 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $34,269
24. Taiwan
    C2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 271.5 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 11.5 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 89.4%
    Methane emissions (2012): Not available
    Population (2017): 23.5 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $24,971
25. Malaysia
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel (2017): 254.6 million metric tons
    CO2 emissions from fossil fuel per person (2017): 8.1 metric tons
    Change from CO2 emissions in 1992: 241.9%
    Methane emissions (2012): 34.3 million metric tons (CO2e)
    Population (2017): 31.6 million
    GDP per capita (2017): $26,824

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