VOC EMISSIONS EXCLUDING WILDFIRES

thousand short tons · 1970–2025 · neither direction is "better" · U.S. EPA National Emissions Inventory trends

12.3M t

2025 (latest)

33.7M t

1970

33.7M t

high · 1970

11.8M t

low · 2016

−64%

since 1970

50 Years Since 2000 10 Years 5 Years 1 Year

┊ dashed lines mark 1979 Oil shock & inflation peak · 1987 Black Monday crash · 1991 Gulf War recession · 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis · 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

Method & caveats. Pollutant-specific worksheet, Total without wildfires row, annual year columns. EPA's own estimates throughout: 1970–2001 five-yearly then annual NEI/trends values, 2002–2019 EQUATES-modeled, and the years after the latest full NEI (2020 onward) interpolated or projected by EPA; no interpolation performed here. EQUATES-modeled 2002–2019; 2020–2025 are EPA interpolated or projected estimates pending the next full inventory. Breaks: EQUATES-modeled 2002–2019; 2020–2025 are EPA interpolated or projected estimates pending the next full inventory.

Sources

Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:

Data

Year	VOC emissions excluding wildfires	Change
2025	12.3M t	−0%
2024	12.3M t	+1%
2023	12.1M t	−0%
2022	12.2M t	+0%
2021	12.1M t	+1%
2020	12.0M t	−0%
2019	12.0M t	−5%
2018	12.7M t	+1%
2017	12.5M t	+6%
2016	11.8M t	−3%
2015	12.1M t	−4%
2014	12.6M t	−0%
2013	12.7M t	−4%
2012	13.2M t	−1%
2011	13.4M t	+1%
2010	13.2M t	−1%
2009	13.4M t	−7%
2008	14.4M t	−3%
2007	14.8M t	−2%
2006	15.1M t	−4%
2005	15.8M t	−1%
2004	16.0M t	+1%
2003	15.9M t	+0%
2002	15.9M t	−5%
2001	16.7M t	−1%
2000	16.9M t	−4%
1999	17.6M t	−3%
1998	18.1M t	−3%
1997	18.8M t	−1%
1996	19.0M t	−12%
1995	21.6M t	−2%
1994	21.9M t	−1%
1993	22.3M t	−2%
1992	22.7M t	−1%
1991	22.9M t	−1%
1990	23.1M t	−14%
1985	26.9M t	−10%
1980	30.1M t	−0%
1975	30.2M t	−11%
1970	33.7M t	—

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