To address global warming, China has set the strategic goal of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”. While national carbon emissions research is extensive, regional studies are limited. Regional carbon emissions accounting is crucial for tailored countermeasures. This paper evaluates carbon emissions in three different economic regions in China for analysing their key contributing factors. The Yangtze River Delta region's cities were found to generate the highest carbon emissions, while cities in the Northeast region exhibited the highest emissions per capita and per unit GDP. In terms of annual changes from 2010 to 2021, there was a consistent decline in carbon emissions per unit GDP across cities in all three regions. Our analyses indicate that GDP per capita growth was the main driver of carbon emissions, with population growth having a modest impact. In contrast, reductions in energy intensity and optimization of energy structure helped reduce carbon emissions in the studied cities.