Which countries have contributed the largest share of global CO2 emissions since 1750?
Lewis Hine/ National Child Labor Committee collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Which countries have contributed the largest share of global CO2 emissions since 1750?
Before 1750, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion were negligible. The world’s first industrialized nation, the United Kingdom, became the world’s first CO2 emitter in the mid-1700s, when industrialization began.
Since then, cumulative CO2 emissions in the world total more than 1.5 trillion metric tons, 3,600 times more than in 1751, according to Our World in Data, and enough to significantly warm the planet. Of that, the U.K. has emitted 78.16 billion metric tons, about 4.61% of the global total. The U.S., however, is responsible for nearly 25% of the global cumulative total, more than any other country in the world, and twice more than China, the world’s second largest national contributor, according to Our World in Data. As a region, Europe is also historically a large contributor, at 22% of the cumulative total. It’s only over the past 50 years that growth in South America, Asia and Africa have increased these regions’ share of total contribution.
These are the countries that have contributed the largest share of global CO2 emissions since 1750, or the year that historical data was first available, (which is indicated for each) according to Our World in Data.
1. United States
Since: 1800
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 416.72 billion metric tons
Global share: 24.56%
2. China
Since: 1899
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 235.56 billion metric tons
Global share: 13.89%
3. Russia
Since: 1830
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 115.34 billion metric tons
Global share: 6.80%
4. Germany
Since: 1792
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 92.64 billion metric tons
Global share: 5.46%
5. United Kingdom
Since: 1750
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 78.16 billion metric tons
Global share: 4.61%
6. Japan
Since: 1868
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 65.63 billion metric tons
Global share: 3.87%
7. India
Since: 1858
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 54.42 billion metric tons
Global share: 3.21%
8. International transport
Since: 1950
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 42.24 billion metric tons
Global share: 2.49%
9. France
Since: 1802
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 38.73 billion metric tons
Global share: 2.28%
10. Canada
Since: 1785
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 33.58 billion metric tons
Global share: 1.98%
11. Ukraine
Since: 1830
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 30.56 billion metric tons
Global share: 1.80%
12. Poland
Since: 1800
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 27.86 billion metric tons
Global share: 1.64%
13. Italy
Since: 1860 2
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 24.74 billion metric tons
Global share: 1.46%
14. South Africa
Since: 1884
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 21.16 billion metric tons
Global share: 1.25%
15. Mexico
Since: 1891
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 20.08 billion metric tons
Global share: 1.18%
16. Iran
Since: 1906
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 18.91 billion metric tons
Global share: 1.11%
17. Australia
Since: 1860
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 18.64 billion metric tons
Global share: 1.10%
18. South Korea
Since: 1905
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 18.34 billion metric tons
Global share: 1.08%
19. Brazil
Since: 1901
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 16.24 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.96%
20. Saudi Arabia
Since: 1936
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 15.94 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.94%
21. Spain
Since: 1830
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 14.85 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.88%
Related: The Race for Solar Energy: Which Countries Are Winning?
22. Indonesia
Since: 1889
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 14.40 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.85%
23. Kazakhstan
Since: 1830
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 13.91 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.82%
24. Belgium
Since: 1802
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 12.54 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.74%
25. Czechia
Since: 1860
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 11.92 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.70%
26. Netherlands
Since: 1846
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 11.74 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.69%
27. Turkey
Since: 1865
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 10.84 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.64%
28. Taiwan
Since: 1896
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 9.05 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.53%
29. Romania
Since: 1858
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 8.49 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.50%
30. Argentina
Since: 1887
Cumulative CO2 emissions: 8.43 billion metric tons
Global share: 0.50%
You can learn more about this data and look up other countries’ cumulative CO2 at Our World in Data. (CC 4.0 Hannah Ritchie, Our World in Data)