Emissions of air pollutants in United States
United States: Emissions of air pollutants was 9.00 million tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
9.00 million tonnes
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
3rd
of 220 countries
All-time high
29.32 million tonnes
in 1979
All-time low
2,731 tonnes
in 1750
Years of data
273
1750–2022
Emissions of air pollutants in United States, 1750–2022
Source: Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2022, emissions of air pollutants in United States stood at 9.00 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 31.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants in United States peaked at 29.32 million tonnes in 1979 and was at its lowest, 2,731 tonnes, in 1750.
United States ranks 3rd of 220 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Emissions of air pollutants in United States, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1750 | 2,731 tonnes | — |
| 1751 | 2,778 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1752 | 2,826 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1753 | 2,874 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1754 | 2,921 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1755 | 2,969 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1756 | 3,016 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1757 | 3,064 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1758 | 3,111 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1759 | 3,159 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1760 | 3,206 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1761 | 3,265 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1762 | 3,323 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1763 | 3,381 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1764 | 3,440 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1765 | 3,498 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1766 | 3,556 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1767 | 3,614 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1768 | 3,673 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1769 | 3,731 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1770 | 3,789 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1771 | 3,861 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1772 | 3,933 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1773 | 4,005 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1774 | 4,078 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1775 | 4,150 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1776 | 4,222 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1777 | 4,294 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1778 | 4,366 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1779 | 4,438 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1780 | 4,509 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1781 | 4,600 tonnes | +2.0% |
| 1782 | 4,690 tonnes | +2.0% |
| 1783 | 4,780 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1784 | 4,870 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1785 | 4,960 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1786 | 5,050 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1787 | 5,140 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1788 | 5,230 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1789 | 5,319 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1790 | 5,409 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1791 | 5,590 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1792 | 5,772 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1793 | 5,953 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1794 | 6,133 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1795 | 6,314 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1796 | 6,494 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1797 | 6,674 tonnes | +2.8% |
| 1798 | 6,854 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1799 | 7,034 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 1800 | 7,527 tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1801 | 7,795 tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1802 | 8,071 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1803 | 8,329 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1804 | 8,624 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1805 | 8,882 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1806 | 9,121 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1807 | 9,425 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1808 | 9,692 tonnes | +2.8% |
| 1809 | 9,954 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1810 | 10,259 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1811 | 10,619 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1812 | 10,988 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1813 | 11,358 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1814 | 11,733 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1815 | 12,108 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1816 | 12,511 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1817 | 12,906 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1818 | 13,310 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1819 | 13,613 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1820 | 13,976 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1821 | 14,457 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1822 | 14,938 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1823 | 15,418 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1824 | 15,996 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1825 | 16,583 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1826 | 17,244 tonnes | +4.0% |
| 1827 | 17,844 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1828 | 18,463 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1829 | 19,150 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1830 | 19,961 tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1831 | 20,750 tonnes | +4.0% |
| 1832 | 22,268 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 1833 | 23,465 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1834 | 23,831 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1835 | 25,574 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 1836 | 26,654 tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1837 | 27,939 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1838 | 28,138 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1839 | 29,310 tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1840 | 30,313 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1841 | 31,445 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1842 | 33,039 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1843 | 34,841 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1844 | 37,532 tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1845 | 40,677 tonnes | +8.4% |
| 1846 | 43,318 tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1847 | 47,051 tonnes | +8.6% |
| 1848 | 49,955 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1849 | 52,500 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1850 | 55,402 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1851 | 62,171 tonnes | +12.2% |
| 1852 | 65,464 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1853 | 70,247 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 1854 | 74,509 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1855 | 81,202 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 1856 | 82,710 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1857 | 83,086 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1858 | 82,916 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1859 | 86,020 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1860 | 89,392 tonnes | +3.9% |
| 1861 | 93,928 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1862 | 99,163 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1863 | 103,417 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1864 | 103,800 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1865 | 104,625 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1866 | 111,122 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1867 | 123,602 tonnes | +11.2% |
| 1868 | 135,032 tonnes | +9.2% |
| 1869 | 149,583 tonnes | +10.8% |
| 1870 | 159,309 tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1871 | 164,151 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1872 | 191,729 tonnes | +16.8% |
| 1873 | 221,817 tonnes | +15.7% |
| 1874 | 223,494 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1875 | 216,063 tonnes | -3.3% |
| 1876 | 217,043 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1877 | 253,348 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 1878 | 262,551 tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1879 | 318,034 tonnes | +21.1% |
| 1880 | 372,487 tonnes | +17.1% |
| 1881 | 392,342 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1882 | 433,575 tonnes | +10.5% |
| 1883 | 426,056 tonnes | -1.7% |
| 1884 | 448,162 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1885 | 457,217 tonnes | +2.0% |
| 1886 | 525,175 tonnes | +14.9% |
| 1887 | 572,427 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 1888 | 674,462 tonnes | +17.8% |
| 1889 | 645,688 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 1890 | 770,181 tonnes | +19.3% |
| 1891 | 826,260 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 1892 | 833,361 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1893 | 828,327 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1894 | 796,828 tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1895 | 882,859 tonnes | +10.8% |
| 1896 | 924,488 tonnes | +4.7% |
| 1897 | 953,148 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1898 | 998,528 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1899 | 1.12 million tonnes | +12.4% |
| 1900 | 1.21 million tonnes | +7.4% |
| 1901 | 1.34 million tonnes | +10.9% |
| 1902 | 1.51 million tonnes | +12.7% |
| 1903 | 1.76 million tonnes | +17.0% |
| 1904 | 1.86 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1905 | 2.12 million tonnes | +14.4% |
| 1906 | 2.18 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 1907 | 2.63 million tonnes | +20.5% |
| 1908 | 2.49 million tonnes | -5.3% |
| 1909 | 2.71 million tonnes | +9.0% |
| 1910 | 3.02 million tonnes | +11.3% |
| 1911 | 3.06 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1912 | 3.23 million tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1913 | 3.61 million tonnes | +11.6% |
| 1914 | 3.53 million tonnes | -2.1% |
| 1915 | 3.71 million tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1916 | 4.15 million tonnes | +11.7% |
| 1917 | 4.57 million tonnes | +10.3% |
| 1918 | 4.84 million tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1919 | 4.70 million tonnes | -2.8% |
| 1920 | 5.76 million tonnes | +22.4% |
| 1921 | 5.43 million tonnes | -5.7% |
| 1922 | 5.91 million tonnes | +8.9% |
| 1923 | 7.29 million tonnes | +23.3% |
| 1924 | 6.90 million tonnes | -5.3% |
| 1925 | 7.17 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1926 | 7.54 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1927 | 8.18 million tonnes | +8.6% |
| 1928 | 8.33 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1929 | 9.18 million tonnes | +10.3% |
| 1930 | 8.26 million tonnes | -10.0% |
| 1931 | 7.47 million tonnes | -9.6% |
| 1932 | 6.73 million tonnes | -9.9% |
| 1933 | 7.33 million tonnes | +9.0% |
| 1934 | 7.54 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1935 | 8.04 million tonnes | +6.6% |
| 1936 | 8.99 million tonnes | +11.8% |
| 1937 | 9.95 million tonnes | +10.7% |
| 1938 | 9.06 million tonnes | -8.9% |
| 1939 | 9.68 million tonnes | +6.8% |
| 1940 | 10.66 million tonnes | +10.1% |
| 1941 | 11.31 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1942 | 11.33 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1943 | 12.02 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1944 | 13.31 million tonnes | +10.7% |
| 1945 | 13.38 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1946 | 13.16 million tonnes | -1.6% |
| 1947 | 14.13 million tonnes | +7.4% |
| 1948 | 15.08 million tonnes | +6.7% |
| 1949 | 13.07 million tonnes | -13.3% |
| 1950 | 14.09 million tonnes | +7.8% |
| 1951 | 15.01 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1952 | 15.23 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1953 | 15.68 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1954 | 15.52 million tonnes | -1.0% |
| 1955 | 16.65 million tonnes | +7.3% |
| 1956 | 17.04 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1957 | 16.65 million tonnes | -2.3% |
| 1958 | 16.63 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1959 | 16.97 million tonnes | +2.1% |
| 1960 | 18.42 million tonnes | +8.5% |
| 1961 | 18.55 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 19.23 million tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1963 | 20.08 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 1964 | 20.96 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 1965 | 21.66 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1966 | 22.83 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1967 | 23.72 million tonnes | +3.9% |
| 1968 | 25.33 million tonnes | +6.8% |
| 1969 | 26.15 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1970 | 26.63 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 26.80 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 27.75 million tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1973 | 28.80 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1974 | 27.48 million tonnes | -4.6% |
| 1975 | 26.30 million tonnes | -4.3% |
| 1976 | 27.84 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1977 | 28.90 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1978 | 29.08 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 29.32 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 28.25 million tonnes | -3.7% |
| 1981 | 27.36 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 1982 | 25.50 million tonnes | -6.8% |
| 1983 | 25.13 million tonnes | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 26.01 million tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 25.81 million tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 25.44 million tonnes | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 25.82 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 26.59 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 26.47 million tonnes | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 26.45 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 26.24 million tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 26.52 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 25.92 million tonnes | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 25.60 million tonnes | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 25.52 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 25.03 million tonnes | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 24.65 million tonnes | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 24.15 million tonnes | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 23.05 million tonnes | -4.6% |
| 2000 | 23.18 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 21.33 million tonnes | -8.0% |
| 2002 | 20.67 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 19.82 million tonnes | -4.1% |
| 2004 | 19.51 million tonnes | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 19.47 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 18.72 million tonnes | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 18.41 million tonnes | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 16.89 million tonnes | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 14.69 million tonnes | -13.1% |
| 2010 | 14.59 million tonnes | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 14.46 million tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 13.10 million tonnes | -9.4% |
| 2013 | 12.74 million tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 12.12 million tonnes | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 11.58 million tonnes | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 11.32 million tonnes | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 10.97 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 10.55 million tonnes | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 10.20 million tonnes | -3.4% |
| 2020 | 8.50 million tonnes | -16.7% |
| 2021 | 8.98 million tonnes | +5.7% |
| 2022 | 9.00 million tonnes | +0.2% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 9.00 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 90,409 tonnes, 99.6× the median. (78 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 2,945 tonnes | 2,731 tonnes | 3,159 tonnes | 10 |
| 1760s | 3,469 tonnes | 3,206 tonnes | 3,731 tonnes | 10 |
| 1770s | 4,113 tonnes | 3,789 tonnes | 4,438 tonnes | 10 |
| 1780s | 4,915 tonnes | 4,509 tonnes | 5,319 tonnes | 10 |
| 1790s | 6,223 tonnes | 5,409 tonnes | 7,034 tonnes | 10 |
| 1800s | 8,742 tonnes | 7,527 tonnes | 9,954 tonnes | 10 |
| 1810s | 11,940 tonnes | 10,259 tonnes | 13,613 tonnes | 10 |
| 1820s | 16,407 tonnes | 13,976 tonnes | 19,150 tonnes | 10 |
| 1830s | 24,789 tonnes | 19,961 tonnes | 29,310 tonnes | 10 |
| 1840s | 40,067 tonnes | 30,313 tonnes | 52,500 tonnes | 10 |
| 1850s | 74,373 tonnes | 55,402 tonnes | 86,020 tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 111,366 tonnes | 89,392 tonnes | 149,583 tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 222,754 tonnes | 159,309 tonnes | 318,034 tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 494,759 tonnes | 372,487 tonnes | 674,462 tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 893,667 tonnes | 770,181 tonnes | 1.12 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 1.98 million tonnes | 1.21 million tonnes | 2.71 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 3.84 million tonnes | 3.02 million tonnes | 4.84 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 7.17 million tonnes | 5.43 million tonnes | 9.18 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 8.30 million tonnes | 6.73 million tonnes | 9.95 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 12.74 million tonnes | 10.66 million tonnes | 15.08 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 15.95 million tonnes | 14.09 million tonnes | 17.04 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 21.69 million tonnes | 18.42 million tonnes | 26.15 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 27.89 million tonnes | 26.30 million tonnes | 29.32 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.24 million tonnes | 25.13 million tonnes | 28.25 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.31 million tonnes | 23.05 million tonnes | 26.52 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.27 million tonnes | 14.69 million tonnes | 23.18 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.16 million tonnes | 10.20 million tonnes | 14.59 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.83 million tonnes | 8.50 million tonnes | 9.00 million tonnes | 3 |
Countries ranked near United States
More environment data for United States
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.16 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.3672 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.624 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0.1269 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is emissions of air pollutants in United States?
- Emissions of air pollutants in United States was 9.00 million tonnes in 2022, according to Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 29.32 million tonnes in 1979.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,731 tonnes in 1750.
- How does United States rank for emissions of air pollutants?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 273 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) are gases that are mainly formed during the burning of fossil fuels. Exposure to NOₓ gases can have negative impacts on respiratory health. NOₓ gases can also lead to the formation of ozone – another air pollutant.