Global CO2 Atmospheric Concentration
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Provided by: Our World in Data|Published on: July 20, 2021
Data, Graphs, and Maps
Scientist Reviewed
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This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This interactive line graph, map, and data table show the global annual concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere over time.
- The line graph can be interacted with to compare these parameters for any country or continent.
- The map and graph can be adjusted for various time periods or set to play as a time lapse.

Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics
Authors: Hannah Ritchie, Max Roser
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Hovering over individual countries on the map will show a small graph for that country's emissions over time.
- The graph, map, and table can be downloaded for use offline.
Additional Prerequisites
- Educators should familiarize themselves with this resource before sharing it with students.
Differentiation
- Explore the graph with students by adding in and subtracting various countries to see how their emissions over time have changed and how they compare to others and the total for the world.
- To focus on the progress being made on lowering emissions, try looking at countries like the United States that have lowered their emissions over the last 20 years.
- Math classes can use the line graph to calculate the rate of change in atmospheric CO2 concentrations between 1822 and 1922. Then students can calculate the rate of change between 1922 and 2022.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →




