Cleaning up nitrogen pollution may reduce future carbon sinks

•Ratio of anthropogenic CO2 and N emissions to atmosphere monotonously increases with economic growth.•Anthropogenic CO2 and N emissions to atmosphere both show an asymmetric para-curve with economic growth.•Inflection points of CO2 and N emissions are found at around $15,000 GDP per capita.•There will be relatively more anthropogenic CO2 emission but less N deposition with economic growth.•Efforts to manage CO2 and N emissions comprehensively to maintain a balance are critical.