Global share of cumulative CO₂ emissions 1750-2023, by select country

In 1800, the United Kingdom accounted for roughly 100 percent of cumulative global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes. However, as more countries began to industrialize over the following decades, the distribution of cumulative emissions shifted greatly. By 1900, the United Kingdom's share of total cumulative CO₂ emissions had fallen to below 40 percent, while the United States's share had increased to almost a quarter. Other major emitters have emerged since 1990, such as China, which as of 2023 accounted for nearly 15 percent of CO₂ emissions ever produced. The United States is the biggest emitter in history, having released more than 400 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide since the industrial revolution began.