The core dataset for the study "Methane emissions from landfills in China: Historical trends, future trajectories, and mitigation strategies"

The waste sector is the third-largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions in China, accounting for approximately 12% of total emissions. Within this sector, MSW treatment contributes nearly 58%.Since 1978 (China’s reform and opening up), the rapid economic growth and urbanization have led to a substantial increase in the generation of municipal solid waste (MSW).Waste sector represents a significant source of anthropogenic methane emissions in China, however, its spatial distribution, future trajectories, and mitigation potential remain insufficiently characterized. This study presented a provincial-level methane emission inventory for landfills in China from 2003 to 2021.The data utilized in this study were obtained from multiple authoritative sources to ensure reliability and scientific rigor. The volume of MSW landfilled at the provincial level was primarily collected from official statistical publications, including the China Statistical Yearbook, China Environmental Statistical Annual Report and China Environmental Yearbook. Forecast data for population and GDP per capita in 34 provinces up to 2050 were derived from the SSPs database.We have uploaded the complete dataset to Figshare, which can be accessed via the DOI link. This ensures that all interested researchers can access the full data used in our study for replication and further analysis. We believe that these measures have improved the transparency and repeatability of our work.