Science

Human bodies produce 2 billion metric tons of CO2 a year just by staying alive

Humans collectively produce more than 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually just by turning food into energy, a 74% increase over three decades largely driven by population growth.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 1 source•1 min read•Updated November 7, 2026, 10:00 AM UTC

Unlike fossil fuel emissions, however, the CO2 we exhale is part of the natural carbon cycle, and scientists say measuring it more accurately could improve climate models.

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