Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Laos
Laos: Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions was 242,858 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
242,858 tonnes
Change on year
down 84.9%
World rank
66th
of 215 countries
All-time high
7.22 million tonnes
in 2016
All-time low
-2.14 million tonnes
in 2019
Years of data
69
1956–2024
Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Laos, 1956–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Laos is 242,858 tonnes, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 84.9% on the previous year and up 31.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Laos peaked at 7.22 million tonnes in 2016 and was at its lowest, -2.14 million tonnes, in 2019.
That places Laos 66th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Laos, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 32,976 tonnes | — |
| 1957 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 1958 | 14,656 tonnes | — |
| 1959 | 3,664 tonnes | -75.0% |
| 1960 | 3,664 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 32,976 tonnes | +800.0% |
| 1962 | 18,320 tonnes | -44.4% |
| 1963 | 14,656 tonnes | -20.0% |
| 1964 | 25,648 tonnes | +75.0% |
| 1965 | 7,328 tonnes | -71.4% |
| 1966 | 54,960 tonnes | +650.0% |
| 1967 | 84,272 tonnes | +53.3% |
| 1968 | -150,224 tonnes | -278.3% |
| 1969 | 150,224 tonnes | -200.0% |
| 1970 | 252,816 tonnes | +68.3% |
| 1971 | -150,224 tonnes | -159.4% |
| 1972 | 65,952 tonnes | -143.9% |
| 1973 | 29,312 tonnes | -55.6% |
| 1974 | -223,504 tonnes | -862.5% |
| 1975 | -40,304 tonnes | -82.0% |
| 1976 | -29,312 tonnes | -27.3% |
| 1977 | 7,328 tonnes | -125.0% |
| 1978 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 1979 | -7,328 tonnes | — |
| 1980 | -36,640 tonnes | +400.0% |
| 1981 | -36,640 tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 7,328 tonnes | -120.0% |
| 1983 | 21,984 tonnes | +200.0% |
| 1984 | 3,664 tonnes | -83.3% |
| 1985 | 21,984 tonnes | +500.0% |
| 1986 | 3,664 tonnes | -83.3% |
| 1987 | 3,664 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 1989 | 18,320 tonnes | — |
| 1990 | 282,128 tonnes | +1440.0% |
| 1991 | 32,976 tonnes | -88.3% |
| 1992 | 46,814 tonnes | +42.0% |
| 1993 | 14,675 tonnes | -68.7% |
| 1994 | 23,175 tonnes | +57.9% |
| 1995 | 40,280 tonnes | +73.8% |
| 1996 | 82,498 tonnes | +104.8% |
| 1997 | 39,031 tonnes | -52.7% |
| 1998 | 27,659 tonnes | -29.1% |
| 1999 | 25,612 tonnes | -7.4% |
| 2000 | 114,720 tonnes | +347.9% |
| 2001 | 98,769 tonnes | -13.9% |
| 2002 | 106,599 tonnes | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 55,196 tonnes | -48.2% |
| 2004 | 61,520 tonnes | +11.5% |
| 2005 | 54,528 tonnes | -11.4% |
| 2006 | 420,323 tonnes | +670.8% |
| 2007 | 78,389 tonnes | -81.4% |
| 2008 | 295,617 tonnes | +277.1% |
| 2009 | 536,115 tonnes | +81.4% |
| 2010 | 333,393 tonnes | -37.8% |
| 2011 | 95,975 tonnes | -71.2% |
| 2012 | 231,542 tonnes | +141.3% |
| 2013 | 869,945 tonnes | +275.7% |
| 2014 | 184,706 tonnes | -78.8% |
| 2015 | 4.80 million tonnes | +2499.7% |
| 2016 | 7.22 million tonnes | +50.4% |
| 2017 | 3.22 million tonnes | -55.4% |
| 2018 | 856,564 tonnes | -73.4% |
| 2019 | -2.14 million tonnes | -350.0% |
| 2020 | -46,310 tonnes | -97.8% |
| 2021 | 3.54 million tonnes | -7750.8% |
| 2022 | 712,144 tonnes | -79.9% |
| 2023 | 1.61 million tonnes | +125.8% |
| 2024 | 242,858 tonnes | -84.9% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 242,858 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 105,942 tonnes, 2.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 242,858 tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 35,881 tonnes, 6.8× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Laos changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +7750.8% | -46,310 tonnes | 3.54 million tonnes |
| 2015 | +2499.7% | 184,706 tonnes | 4.80 million tonnes |
| 1990 | +1440.0% | 18,320 tonnes | 282,128 tonnes |
| 1974 | -862.5% | 29,312 tonnes | -223,504 tonnes |
| 1961 | +800.0% | 3,664 tonnes | 32,976 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12,824 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 32,976 tonnes | 4 |
| 1960s | 24,182 tonnes | -150,224 tonnes | 150,224 tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | -9,526 tonnes | -223,504 tonnes | 252,816 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 732.8 tonnes | -36,640 tonnes | 21,984 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 61,485 tonnes | 14,675 tonnes | 282,128 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 182,178 tonnes | 54,528 tonnes | 536,115 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.57 million tonnes | -2.14 million tonnes | 7.22 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.21 million tonnes | -46,310 tonnes | 3.54 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More climate change data for Laos
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 11,464 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,980 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 8,484 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 11.25 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 303.01 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,806 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 581.36 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,224 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.19 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 79.45 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Laos?
- Year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Laos was 242,858 tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest year-on-year change in co₂ emissions recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 7.22 million tonnes in 2016.
- What is the lowest year-on-year change in co₂ emissions recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.14 million tonnes in 2019.
- How does Laos rank for year-on-year change in co₂ emissions?
- Laos ranks 66th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is year-on-year change in co₂ emissions rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Laos data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 69 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual growth in total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in tonnes.