Iran vs United States: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector
Iran
21.10 million tonnes
in 2023
United States
36.88 million tonnes
in 2023
Iran rank
6th
United States rank
3rd
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector over time
- Iran
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 36.88 million tonnes against 21.10 million tonnes in Iran, a difference of 15.78 million tonnes.
That makes United States's figure about 1.7 times Iran's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
Iran ranks 6th and United States ranks 3rd of 179 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.40 million tonnes | 50.51 million tonnes | 37.10 million tonnes | United States |
| 2000s | 15.15 million tonnes | 52.23 million tonnes | 37.09 million tonnes | United States |
| 2010s | 12.27 million tonnes | 47.59 million tonnes | 35.32 million tonnes | United States |
| 2020s | 19.03 million tonnes | 37.95 million tonnes | 18.91 million tonnes | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher greenhouse gas emissions by sector, Iran or United States?
- United States, at 36.88 million tonnes against 21.10 million tonnes in Iran as of 2023.
- What is the difference in greenhouse gas emissions by sector between Iran and United States?
- 15.78 million tonnes, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and United States?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Iran and United States rank globally for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Iran ranks 6th and United States ranks 3rd of 179 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Greenhouse gas emissions by sector. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents.