Report Highlights
The global transportation sector emitted 8.4 gigatons of CO2-equivalent in 2024.
- Transportation accounts for 15.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions
- Transportation is the third-largest polluting sector globally after power generation and manufacturing
- Global transport emissions have increased 79% since 1990
- Global transport emissions grew 1.3% from 2023 to 2024
- The United States emits 20.2% of global transport emissions, the highest of any country
- China's transport emissions increased over 900% since 1990
- The United States increased transport emissions 17% since 1990
How much CO2 does the transportation sector emit?
The transportation sector emitted 8.4 gigatons (8442 million metric tons) of CO2-equivalent in 2024.
This includes all forms of transport: road vehicles, trains, ships, and aircraft worldwide.
This includes all forms of transport: road vehicles, trains, ships, and aircraft worldwide.
What percentage of global emissions comes from transportation?
Transportation accounts for 15.9% of total global greenhouse gas emissions in 2024.
Total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2024 reached 53.2 gigatons CO2-equivalent.
Total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2024 reached 53.2 gigatons CO2-equivalent.
How does transportation rank among all sectors?
Transportation is the third-largest GHG-emitting sector globally after power generation and manufacturing.
Global emissions by sector in 2024
| Sector | Emissions (Mt CO₂e) | % of Global Total |
|---|---|---|
| Power Industry | 15,640 | 29.4% |
| Manufacturing | 11,499 | 21.6% |
| Transportation | 8,442 | 15.9% |
| Agriculture | 6,241 | 11.7% |
| Fuel Exploitation | 6,033 | 11.3% |
| Buildings | 3,550 | 6.7% |
| Waste | 1,803 | 3.4% |
Global GHG emissions by sector 1970-2024
Power generation produces the most GHG emissions at 29.4% of the global total, followed by manufacturing (Industrial Combustion & Processes) at 21.6%.
How much have transportation emissions grown?
Transportation emissions increased 79% from 1990 to 2024.
Transport emissions growth over time (1990-2024)
| Year | Transport Emissions (Mt CO₂e) |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 4,706 |
| 2000 | 5,889 |
| 2010 | 7,149 |
| 2020 | 7,221 |
| 2024 | 8,441 |
Transportation emissions grew from 4.7 gigatons in 1990 to 8.4 gigatons in 2024, nearly doubling in 34 years. The only significant decline occurred in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when emissions dropped 14% to 7.2 gigatons before recovering.
How fast did transportation emissions grow in 2024?
Transportation emissions increased 1.2% from 2023 to 2024, adding 99 million metric tons.
Transportation emissions reached 8,441 million metric tons in 2024 compared to 8,342 million metric tons in 2023. This 1.2% growth rate is slower than recent years, potentially indicating effects from electric vehicle adoption and efficiency improvements.
Transportation emissions reached 8,441 million metric tons in 2024 compared to 8,342 million metric tons in 2023. This 1.2% growth rate is slower than recent years, potentially indicating effects from electric vehicle adoption and efficiency improvements.
Which countries have the highest transportation emission growth?
China, India, and Indonesia each increased transportation emissions by over 300% since 1990.
Transportation emissions growth by country (1990-2024)
| Country/Region | Transportation CO₂e Growth |
|---|---|
| GLOBAL TOTAL | 79% |
| United States | 17% |
| China | 905% |
| European Union | 21% |
| India | 429% |
| Russia | -4% |
| Brazil | 166% |
| Japan | -18% |
| Canada | 33% |
| Indonesia | 370% |
| Iran | 285% |
| Saudi Arabia | 189% |
| Germany | -14% |
| Mexico | 52% |
| France | 5% |
| South Korea | 148% |
| United Kingdom | -8% |
| Italy | 8% |
| Australia | 61% |
| Türkiye | 255% |
| Spain | 50% |
| Thailand | 196% |
| Poland | 236% |
| Egypt | 285% |
| Nigeria | 414% |
| Malaysia | 311% |
| Viet Nam | 1126% |
| Algeria | 206% |
| Argentina | 69% |
| Pakistan | 238% |
| Iraq | 105% |
| South Africa | 51% |
| Philippines | 181% |
| United Arab Emirates | 239% |
| Colombia | 127% |
| Taiwan | 65% |
| Kazakhstan | 113% |
| Chile | 227% |
| Peru | 308% |
| Netherlands | -10% |
| Belgium | 18% |
| Ukraine | -59% |
| Romania | 93% |
| Ecuador | 184% |
| Czechia | 196% |
| Libya | 219% |
| Austria | 45% |
| Uzbekistan | 154% |
| Morocco | 397% |
| Kuwait | 565% |
| Greece | 22% |
| Israel | 117% |
| Portugal | 75% |
| Venezuela | -44% |
| New Zealand | 73% |
| Switzerland | -1% |
| Sweden | -28% |
| Bolivia | 511% |
| Bangladesh | 707% |
| Hungary | 62% |
| Myanmar/Burma | 904% |
| Sudan and South Sudan | 242% |
| Qatar | 782% |
| Oman | 667% |
| Norway | 26% |
| Ireland | 131% |
| Denmark | 10% |
| Guatemala | 545% |
| Kenya | 285% |
| Tanzania | 1384% |
| Sri Lanka | 306% |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 131% |
| Bulgaria | 57% |
| Belarus | -14% |
| Ghana | 511% |
| Azerbaijan | 56% |
| Turkmenistan | -4% |
| Tunisia | 263% |
| Finland | -23% |
| Dominican Republic | 289% |
| Angola | 755% |
| Hong Kong | 83% |
| Croatia | 123% |
| Jordan | 192% |
| Ethiopia | 851% |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 518% |
| Slovakia | 80% |
| Cambodia | 3343% |
| Paraguay | 313% |
| Lebanon | 245% |
| Costa Rica | 296% |
| Singapore | 52% |
| Panama | 379% |
| Lithuania | 7% |
| Senegal | 661% |
| Honduras | 410% |
| Slovenia | 98% |
| Syria | -30% |
| Nepal | 1358% |
| North Korea | -12% |
| DR Congo | 766% |
| Georgia | 26% |
| El Salvador | 259% |
| Mozambique | 644% |
| Benin | 2573% |
| Uruguay | 187% |
| Afghanistan | 353% |
| Luxembourg | 63% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 90% |
| Mali | 2653% |
| Cameroon | 120% |
| Uganda | 545% |
| Bahrain | 287% |
| Mongolia | 104% |
| Burkina Faso | 1998% |
| Latvia | -7% |
| Yemen | -32% |
| Mauritania | 889% |
| Jamaica | 147% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 98% |
| Guinea | 556% |
| Laos | 2148% |
| Nicaragua | 253% |
| Zambia | 231% |
| North Macedonia | 219% |
| Estonia | 0% |
| Zimbabwe | 12% |
| Botswana | 257% |
| Armenia | -22% |
| Tajikistan | 207% |
| Papua New Guinea | 104% |
| Puerto Rico | 19% |
| Moldova | -10% |
| Cyprus | 73% |
| Namibia | 237% |
| Madagascar | 196% |
| Niger | 628% |
| Albania | 118% |
| Kyrgyzstan | -75% |
| Haiti | 234% |
| Réunion | 270% |
| Malawi | 775% |
| Congo | 158% |
| Chad | 1161% |
| Brunei | 126% |
| New Caledonia | 130% |
| Mauritius | 179% |
| Cuba | -76% |
| Togo | 188% |
| Curaçao | 35% |
How much did global transportation-sector CO₂e emissions change from 1990 to 2024?
Global transportation-sector CO₂e emissions increased 79% from ~4.7 Gt in 1990 to ~8.4 Gt in 2024—nearly doubling over 34 years.
Which major emitters recorded the largest increases in transportation-sector CO₂e from 1990 to 2024?
Among major emitters, transportation-sector CO₂e grew fastest in China (+905%), India (+429%), Nigeria (+414%), and Indonesia (+370%), reflecting rapid motorization and freight growth from relatively low 1990 baselines.
Which major economies reduced their transportation-sector CO₂e between 1990 and 2024?
Japan (−18%), Germany (−14%), and the United Kingdom (−8%) cut transportation-sector CO₂e versus 1990.
How did the United States and the European Union (EU27) change in transportation-sector CO₂e from 1990 to 2024?
U.S. transportation-sector CO₂e rose 17% over 1990–2024; EU27 transportation-sector CO₂e rose 21% - both below the global growth rate of 79%.
What’s the one-line takeaway for 1990–2024 transportation emissions?
Global transport CO₂e is up 79% since 1990; growth is concentrated in rapidly developing economies, while a few mature economies - Japan, Germany, UK - have reduced transport emissions versus 1990.
Which countries emit the most CO2 in total?
China emits 29.2% of global greenhouse gases, the highest of any country.
Top 10 CO₂ polluting countries and regions in 2024
| Rank | Country/Region | Total Emissions (Mt CO₂e) | % of Global |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 15,536 | 29.2% |
| 2 | United States | 5,913 | 11.1% |
| 3 | India | 4,371 | 8.2% |
| 4 | European Union | 3,165 | 5.9% |
| 5 | Russia | 2,576 | 4.8% |
| 6 | Indonesia | 1,324 | 2.5% |
| 7 | Brazil | 1,299 | 2.4% |
| 8 | Japan | 1,063 | 2.0% |
| 9 | Iran | 1,055 | 2.0% |
| 10 | Saudi Arabia | 839 | 1.6% |
The top six emitters - China, United States, India, European Union, Russia, and Indonesia - account for 61.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Which countries emit the most CO2 from transportation?
The United States emits 20.2% of global greenhouse gases from domestic transportation, the highest of any country, followed by China with 9.4%, and India with 4.2%.
Top 50 transportation CO₂ emitters by country (2024)
| Rank | Country/Region | 2024 Emissions (Mt CO₂e) | % of Global |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | GLOBAL TOTAL | 8441.6 | 100% |
| 1 | United States | 1702.8 | 20.2% |
| 2 | China | 957.4 | 11.3% |
| — | EU27 | 791.3 | 9.4% |
| — | International Shipping | 704.5 | 8.3% |
| — | International Aviation | 618.8 | 7.3% |
| 3 | India | 354.2 | 4.2% |
| 4 | Russia | 291.3 | 3.5% |
| 5 | Brazil | 223.7 | 2.6% |
| 6 | Japan | 177.2 | 2.1% |
| 7 | Canada | 168.9 | 2.0% |
| 8 | Indonesia | 154.4 | 1.8% |
| 9 | Iran | 153.3 | 1.8% |
| 10 | Saudi Arabia | 145.1 | 1.7% |
| 11 | Germany | 139.6 | 1.7% |
| 12 | Mexico | 129.2 | 1.5% |
| 13 | France | 120.5 | 1.4% |
| 14 | South Korea | 110.8 | 1.3% |
| 15 | United Kingdom | 108.0 | 1.3% |
| 16 | Italy | 106.0 | 1.3% |
| 17 | Australia | 102.4 | 1.2% |
| 18 | Türkiye | 100.2 | 1.2% |
| 19 | Spain | 96.4 | 1.1% |
| 20 | Thailand | 84.7 | 1.0% |
| 21 | Poland | 69.4 | 0.8% |
| 22 | Egypt | 63.7 | 0.8% |
| 23 | Nigeria | 61.6 | 0.7% |
| 24 | Malaysia | 61.2 | 0.7% |
| 25 | Vietnam | 52.2 | 0.6% |
| 26 | Algeria | 49.5 | 0.6% |
| 27 | Argentina | 48.8 | 0.6% |
| 28 | Pakistan | 48.8 | 0.6% |
| 29 | Iraq | 45.4 | 0.5% |
| 30 | South Africa | 45.3 | 0.5% |
| 31 | Philippines | 39.4 | 0.5% |
| 32 | United Arab Emirates | 38.9 | 0.5% |
| 33 | Colombia | 37.8 | 0.4% |
| 34 | Taiwan | 36.7 | 0.4% |
| 35 | Kazakhstan | 31.5 | 0.4% |
| 36 | Chile | 30.3 | 0.4% |
| 37 | Peru | 29.7 | 0.4% |
| 38 | Netherlands | 24.7 | 0.3% |
| 39 | Belgium | 24.2 | 0.3% |
| 40 | Ukraine | 23.1 | 0.3% |
| 41 | Romania | 23.0 | 0.3% |
| 42 | Ecuador | 22.6 | 0.3% |
| 43 | Czechia | 20.9 | 0.2% |
| 44 | Libya | 20.3 | 0.2% |
| 45 | Austria | 20.2 | 0.2% |
| 46 | Uzbekistan | 19.8 | 0.2% |
| 47 | Morocco | 19.8 | 0.2% |
| 48 | Kuwait | 19.3 | 0.2% |
| 49 | Greece | 18.8 | 0.2% |
| 50 | Israel | 17.7 | 0.2% |
The top six polluters from domestic transportation - United States, China, European Union, India, Russia, and Brazil - account for 51.1% of global transportation GHG emissions.
How much CO2 does each person produce?
On average, each person in the world produced 6.56 tons of CO2 emissions per capita in 2024, but the actual numbers vary dramatically across countries.
Per capita CO2e emissions growth by country in 1990-2024
The United States emits 17.3 tons of CO2-equivalent per person, nearly six times more than India's 3.0 tons per person. These differences reflect vehicle ownership rates, travel distances, urban design, and freight transport intensity.
What were 2024 per-capita CO₂e emissions in the United States, China, the EU-27, and India?
United States: 17.4 t CO₂e/person, China: 10.8, EU-27: 7.1, India: 3.0.
What gases does transportation emit?
Transportation emits 98.3% carbon dioxide (CO2), 1.3% nitrous oxide (N2O), and 0.4% methane (CH4).
Carbon dioxide dominates transportation emissions because it comes directly from burning gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and marine fuel. Nitrous oxide comes mainly from catalytic converters and ship engines. Methane results from incomplete fuel combustion.
Carbon dioxide dominates transportation emissions because it comes directly from burning gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and marine fuel. Nitrous oxide comes mainly from catalytic converters and ship engines. Methane results from incomplete fuel combustion.
Sources
Crippa, M., Guizzardi, D., Pagani, F., Banja, M., Muntean, M., Schaaf, E., Quadrelli, R., Risquez Martin, A., Taghavi-Moharamli, P., Köykkä, J., Grassi, G., Rossi, S., Melo, J., Oom, D., Branco, A., Suárez-Moreno, M., Sedano, F., San-Miguel, J., Manca, G., Pisoni, E., Pekar, F. (2025). GHG emissions of all world countries - 2025 Report (EDGAR 2025 Report). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. doi:10.2760/9816914, JRC143227.
EDGAR 2025 raw source data spreadsheet
EDGAR 2025 raw source data spreadsheet
Methodology notes
Transportation sector includes all domestic and international transport: road vehicles, rail, aviation, maritime shipping, and inland waterways. Emissions converted to CO2-equivalent using IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) 100-year global warming potential values.
International shipping and aviation are also included in this sector, but are presented separately in the country-based data due to their international nature (international transport cannot be allocated to a single country).
LinkedIn
Website
