Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring in Iraq
Iraq: Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring was 34.18 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
34.18 million tonnes
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
4th
of 215 countries
All-time high
34.18 million tonnes
in 2024
All-time low
95,264 tonnes
in 1991
Years of data
60
1965–2024
Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring in Iraq, 1965–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual co₂ emissions from flaring in Iraq is 34.18 million tonnes, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 60 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.8% on the previous year and up 28.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from flaring in Iraq peaked at 34.18 million tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 95,264 tonnes, in 1991.
Iraq ranks 4th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring in Iraq, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 9.65 million tonnes | — |
| 1966 | 10.87 million tonnes | +12.6% |
| 1967 | 10.01 million tonnes | -7.9% |
| 1968 | 8.73 million tonnes | -12.7% |
| 1969 | 10.38 million tonnes | +18.9% |
| 1970 | 10.28 million tonnes | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 13.63 million tonnes | +32.5% |
| 1972 | 12.47 million tonnes | -8.5% |
| 1973 | 14.46 million tonnes | +15.9% |
| 1974 | 15.56 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1975 | 16.91 million tonnes | +8.7% |
| 1976 | 21.47 million tonnes | +26.9% |
| 1977 | 17.12 million tonnes | -20.3% |
| 1978 | 17.89 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1979 | 23.43 million tonnes | +31.0% |
| 1980 | 18.48 million tonnes | -21.1% |
| 1981 | 6.50 million tonnes | -64.8% |
| 1982 | 6.77 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1983 | 6.46 million tonnes | -4.5% |
| 1984 | 7.90 million tonnes | +22.3% |
| 1985 | 10.38 million tonnes | +31.3% |
| 1986 | 12.27 million tonnes | +18.2% |
| 1987 | 9.79 million tonnes | -20.2% |
| 1988 | 8.86 million tonnes | -9.4% |
| 1989 | 9.38 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1990 | 7.98 million tonnes | -15.0% |
| 1991 | 95,264 tonnes | -98.8% |
| 1992 | 113,584 tonnes | +19.2% |
| 1993 | 95,264 tonnes | -16.1% |
| 1994 | 5.44 million tonnes | +5613.3% |
| 1995 | 5.71 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1996 | 5.52 million tonnes | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 9.05 million tonnes | +64.0% |
| 1998 | 10.27 million tonnes | +13.5% |
| 1999 | 12.19 million tonnes | +18.6% |
| 2000 | 13.38 million tonnes | +9.8% |
| 2001 | 13.60 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 12.05 million tonnes | -11.5% |
| 2003 | 12.40 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 14.56 million tonnes | +17.3% |
| 2005 | 13.45 million tonnes | -7.6% |
| 2006 | 13.77 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 12.77 million tonnes | -7.3% |
| 2008 | 13.59 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 15.40 million tonnes | +13.3% |
| 2010 | 17.38 million tonnes | +12.9% |
| 2011 | 20.63 million tonnes | +18.7% |
| 2012 | 23.88 million tonnes | +15.8% |
| 2013 | 25.09 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 26.51 million tonnes | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 30.66 million tonnes | +15.7% |
| 2016 | 33.00 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 2017 | 33.54 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 33.40 million tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 33.68 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 32.66 million tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 33.64 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 33.66 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 33.26 million tonnes | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 34.18 million tonnes | +2.8% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 34.18 million tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1,109 tonnes, 30822.6× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 34.18 million tonnes is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 703,552 tonnes, 48.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring in Iraq 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +5613.3% | 95,264 tonnes | 5.44 million tonnes |
| 1991 | -98.8% | 7.98 million tonnes | 95,264 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.93 million tonnes | 8.73 million tonnes | 10.87 million tonnes | 5 |
| 1970s | 16.32 million tonnes | 10.28 million tonnes | 23.43 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.68 million tonnes | 6.46 million tonnes | 18.48 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.65 million tonnes | 95,264 tonnes | 12.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.50 million tonnes | 12.05 million tonnes | 15.40 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.78 million tonnes | 17.38 million tonnes | 33.68 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.48 million tonnes | 32.66 million tonnes | 34.18 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More climate change data for Iraq
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 672.48 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 10,634 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,750 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 6,884 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14.15 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 245.84 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,859 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 4,294 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,565 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 16.21 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from flaring in Iraq?
- Annual co₂ emissions from flaring in Iraq was 34.18 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual co₂ emissions from flaring recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 34.18 million tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from flaring recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 95,264 tonnes in 1991.
- How does Iraq rank for annual co₂ emissions from flaring?
- Iraq ranks 4th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from flaring rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from flaring, measured in tonnes.