Green
Animated Chart: The World’s Top 15 Carbon Emitters (1850-2022)
The World’s Top 15 Carbon Emitters (1850-2022)
Carbon emissions worldwide have shifted over the past centuries. However, what remains consistent is that the biggest economies have been the major emitters since the 19th century.
This chart by James Eagle uses data from Our World in Data to show the 15 largest carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitters between 1850 and 2022.
U.S. the Top Emitter for Over 100 Years
As the pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, the United Kingdom spent most of the 19th century at the top of the carbon emissions ranking.
Rank - 1850 | Emitter | CO2 (million tonnes) |
---|---|---|
1 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 122.4 |
2 | 🇺🇸 United States | 19.8 |
3 | 🇫🇷 France | 19.6 |
4 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 15.1 |
5 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 9.3 |
6 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 3.2 |
In 1888, however, the United States surpassed the UK to become the largest emitter of carbon. The American Civil War was over, and the country saw significant infrastructure expansion while focusing on settling the West.
Interestingly, America’s CO₂ emissions back then were small compared to today’s: for example, California’s current emissions are more than the entire country’s in 1888.
Throughout the first five decades of the 20th century, the U.S., UK, and Germany dominated the top of the rankings.
In the 1950s, with the increase in merchant traffic, the shipping sector became one of the major contributors to carbon emissions. During the same period, with the expansion of the Soviet Union, Russia surpassed Germany to become the second-largest carbon emitter. China also rose to occupy the fourth place.
China Tops CO₂ Emissions Since 2006
In the 1990s, China saw carbon emissions soar due to industrial growth, while the Middle East saw them rise due to strong global oil demand.
In 2006, China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest emitter. The aviation sector also became one of the top 15 emitters in the same decade.
Rank - 2022 | Emitter | CO2 (million tonnes) |
---|---|---|
1 | 🇨🇳 China | 11,396.8 |
2 | 🇺🇸 United States | 5,057.3 |
3 | 🇮🇳 India | 2,829.6 |
4 | 🌍 Middle East | 2,677.6 |
5 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 1,652.2 |
6 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1,053.8 |
7 | 🇮🇷 Iran | 690.6 |
8 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 665.6 |
9 | 🚢 Shipping | 624.5 |
10 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 547.9 |
11 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 512.0 |
12 | ✈️ Aviation | 424.9 |
13 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 338.1 |
14 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 323.1 |
15 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 318.7 |
Currently, the volume of Chinese carbon emissions is more than double that of the U.S. Historically, however, the U.S. has emitted more CO₂ in cumulative terms.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Green
Infographic: How Long Does Plastic Take to Decompose?
Plastics can take 20 to 500 years to decompose.

Infographic: How Long Does Plastic Take to Decompose?
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- Plastics can take 20 to 500 years to decompose, depending on the material and structure
- The breakdown rate of plastic also depends on sunlight exposure (UV radiation)
- Single-use plastic grocery bags take about 20 years to break down
- Plastic water bottles (made of polyethylene terephthalate – PET) take around 450 years to fully break down
Not Natural
Plastic is everywhere—from everyday packaging to essential medical tools. But once discarded, these items don’t just disappear. They linger for decades, centuries even, posing long-term environmental threats. Meanwhile, only 9% of plastic gets recycled globally.
Plastic is derived from petroleum and doesn’t occur in nature. Its carbon bonds differ from those in nature, making it harder and more energy-intensive to break down.
The quickest to break down, cigarette butts, still take five years. Plastic bags follow at 20 years, and plastic-lined coffee cups at 30 years, according to data from Chariot Energy.
Material | Estimated Decomposition |
---|---|
Cigarette butts | 5 years |
Plastic bags | 20 years |
Plastic-lined coffee cups | 30 years |
Plastic straws | 200 years |
Soda can rings | 400 years |
Plastic bottles | 450 years |
Toothbrushes | 500 years |
Disposable diapers | 500 years |
Styrofoam | 500 years |
Fishing line | 600 years |
More durable items last far longer. Plastic straws take 200 years to decompose, soda can rings 400 years, and plastic bottles 450 years. Everyday hygiene items like toothbrushes and diapers take about 500 years—just as long as styrofoam.
At the top of the chart is fishing line, which can persist in the environment for 600 years. This is especially harmful to marine life, often entangling animals or being ingested with fatal consequences.
It’s also important to note that plastic can usually only be recycled once or twice before it degrades and becomes unusable. This means that even recycled plastics will eventually end up in a landfill, be incinerated, or find their way into the ocean.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
If you enjoyed this post, check out How Much Plastic Waste Actually Gets Recycled Globally? on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.
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