What is emissions of air pollutants in Libya?

Emissions of air pollutants in Libya was 896,496 tonnes in 2022, according to Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Libya?

The highest recorded value was 1.26 million tonnes in 2005.

What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Libya?

The lowest recorded value was 11,811 tonnes in 1912.

How does Libya rank for emissions of air pollutants?

Libya ranks 57th out of 220 countries with data for 2022.

Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in Libya?

Over the last ten years it is down 24.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Libya data come from?

The figures come from Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

emissions of air pollutants in Libya

Name: emissions of air pollutants in Libya
Creator: Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Libya: emissions of air pollutants was 896,496 tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)

896,496 tonnes

Change on year

down 0.2%

World rank

57th

of 220 countries

All-time high

1.26 million tonnes

in 2005

All-time low

11,811 tonnes

in 1912

Years of data

273

1750–2022

emissions of air pollutants in Libya, 1750–2022

Source: Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

In 2022, emissions of air pollutants in Libya stood at 896,496 tonnes.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 24.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants in Libya peaked at 1.26 million tonnes in 2005 and was at its lowest, 11,811 tonnes, in 1912.

That places Libya 57th out of 220 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1750s	13,659 tonnes	13,657 tonnes	13,662 tonnes	10
1760s	13,663 tonnes	13,662 tonnes	13,663 tonnes	10
1770s	13,662 tonnes	13,660 tonnes	13,663 tonnes	10
1780s	13,656 tonnes	13,653 tonnes	13,660 tonnes	10
1790s	13,646 tonnes	13,640 tonnes	13,652 tonnes	10
1800s	13,630 tonnes	13,621 tonnes	13,638 tonnes	10
1810s	13,638 tonnes	13,619 tonnes	13,658 tonnes	10
1820s	13,678 tonnes	13,662 tonnes	13,694 tonnes	10
1830s	13,710 tonnes	13,697 tonnes	13,722 tonnes	10
1840s	13,733 tonnes	13,725 tonnes	13,742 tonnes	10
1850s	13,748 tonnes	13,744 tonnes	13,752 tonnes	10
1860s	13,826 tonnes	13,753 tonnes	13,900 tonnes	10
1870s	13,985 tonnes	13,916 tonnes	14,053 tonnes	10
1880s	14,132 tonnes	14,068 tonnes	14,196 tonnes	10
1890s	15,032 tonnes	14,210 tonnes	15,849 tonnes	10
1900s	14,536 tonnes	12,992 tonnes	16,029 tonnes	10
1910s	12,969 tonnes	11,811 tonnes	14,698 tonnes	10
1920s	17,819 tonnes	15,210 tonnes	20,667 tonnes	10
1930s	24,971 tonnes	21,379 tonnes	28,898 tonnes	10
1940s	34,816 tonnes	29,876 tonnes	40,175 tonnes	10
1950s	48,577 tonnes	46,490 tonnes	54,074 tonnes	10
1960s	123,615 tonnes	55,142 tonnes	298,368 tonnes	10
1970s	227,014 tonnes	161,138 tonnes	328,732 tonnes	10
1980s	384,905 tonnes	354,278 tonnes	403,444 tonnes	10
1990s	593,333 tonnes	422,111 tonnes	825,447 tonnes	10
2000s	1.08 million tonnes	912,380 tonnes	1.26 million tonnes	10
2010s	1.05 million tonnes	889,239 tonnes	1.22 million tonnes	10
2020s	887,432 tonnes	867,096 tonnes	898,705 tonnes	3

Countries ranked near Libya

54 Spain 1.03 million tonnes compare
55 Burkina Faso 987,249 tonnes compare
56 Saudi Arabia 910,496 tonnes compare
58 Uzbekistan 867,112 tonnes compare
59 South Sudan 859,132 tonnes compare
60 Romania 858,597 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More climate change data for Libya

Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.1% (2100)
Population growth 1.0% (2025)
Population, total 7.46 million (2025)
Urban population growth 1.1% (2025)
Urban population 6.56 million (2025)
Urban population 87.9% (2025)
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 8.84 tonnes per person (2024)
Cumulative CO₂ emissions 2.49 billion tonnes (2024)
CO₂ emissions per capita 8.84 tonnes per person (2024)
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 8.84 tonnes per person (2024)

All data for Libya →

Frequently asked questions

What is emissions of air pollutants in Libya?: Emissions of air pollutants in Libya was 896,496 tonnes in 2022, according to Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Libya?: The highest recorded value was 1.26 million tonnes in 2005.
What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Libya?: The lowest recorded value was 11,811 tonnes in 1912.
How does Libya rank for emissions of air pollutants?: Libya ranks 57th out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in Libya?: Over the last ten years it is down 24.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Libya data come from?: The figures come from Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 273 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: emissions of air pollutants
Unit: tonnes
Source: Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 220 places, 60,060 data points, 1750–2022
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a pollutant produced from the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels such as oil, gas, wood, and coal. CO is a harmful gas that contributes to both outdoor and indoor air pollution.