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Emissions in India - Statistics & Facts

India’s soaring population and fast-growing economy have seen emissions there rise dramatically in recent decades. Since 1990, annual carbon dioxide emissions in India have increased by more than 300 percent to reach a record high of 2.56 billion metric tons (GtCO2) in 2019. Although the outbreak of COVID-19 caused CO2 emissions to drop in 2020, they are expected to rebound substantially in 2021. The staggering growth in emissions means India is now the third-biggest carbon emitter worldwide, accounting for seven percent of global emissions in 2020. However, per capita emissions in India are considerably lower than in many any other countries, at just 1.77 metric tons per person. This is well below the global average.

What are the main sources of emissions in India?

India’s economic growth has been fueled by coal power, which produces roughly 70 percent of the country’s electricity supply. Coal is the most carbon intensive fossil fuel, and in 2020 accounted for 1.6 GtCO2 being released in India. This was almost 70 percent of the country’s total emissions that year. The huge amounts of CO2 produced by coal-fired power plants means that the electricity and heat sector is the most carbon polluting sector in India. The agriculture sector is India’s second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to the enormous amounts of methane emissions being released each year from activities such as livestock rearing and rice cultivation. India is the world’s third-largest emitter of methane, which is a key contributor to climate change due to its high heat-trapping potential.

Air quality in India

In addition to being a major carbon polluter, India also has some of the worst air quality worldwide. Despite COVID-19 restrictions causing average PM2.5 levels to drop in 2020, India was still the third-most polluted country that year. Delhi also retained its unwanted title as the most polluted capital city, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 84.1 micrograms per cubic meter of air (μg/m³). Perhaps more strikingly, the average PM2.5 concentration in the air of several of India’s regional cities is far worse than Delhi’s. Neighboring Noida and Ghaziabad, for example, recorded average PM2.5 concentrations of 94.3 μg/m³ and 106.6 μg/m³, respectively. Some of the main causes of air pollution in India are coal-fired power plants, transportation, and crop burning. Long-term exposure to air pollutants causes millions of deaths each year in India.

Climate action in India

With the impacts of the climate crisis looming ever closer, India’s president Narendra Modi has set his country an ambitious target of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 in a bid to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. For this to be achieved, President Modi outlined five key commitments at COP26, including meeting 50 percent of energy demand through renewable sources, and reducing the carbon intensity of the economy by more than 45 percent by 2030. However, India abstained from signing the Global Methane Pledge at COP26– a collective goal of reducing global methane emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Ian Tiseo, Feb 8, 2023

Key insights

Biggest CO2 emitter ever
United States
India's share of global CO₂ emissions
7.3%
Average PM2.5 concentration in India
59.4 µg/m3
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