emissions of air pollutants in Sweden
Sweden: emissions of air pollutants was 263,128 tonnes in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
263,128 tonnes
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
112th
of 220 countries
All-time high
1.15 million tonnes
in 1989
All-time low
263,128 tonnes
in 2022
Years of data
273
1750–2022
emissions of air pollutants in Sweden, 1750–2022
Source: Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Sweden recorded 263,128 tonnes for emissions of air pollutants in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 273 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 24.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants in Sweden peaked at 1.15 million tonnes in 1989 and was at its lowest, 263,128 tonnes, in 2022.
That places Sweden 112th out of 220 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 273 years of available data.
emissions of air pollutants in Sweden, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1750 | 473,077 tonnes | — |
| 1751 | 475,432 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1752 | 477,768 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1753 | 480,087 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1754 | 482,388 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1755 | 484,671 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1756 | 486,936 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1757 | 489,183 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1758 | 491,412 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1759 | 493,623 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1760 | 495,817 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1761 | 496,141 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1762 | 496,458 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1763 | 496,766 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1764 | 497,066 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1765 | 497,357 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1766 | 497,640 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1767 | 497,915 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1768 | 498,181 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1769 | 498,439 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1770 | 498,688 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1771 | 499,220 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1772 | 499,742 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1773 | 500,254 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1774 | 500,756 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1775 | 501,248 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1776 | 501,731 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1777 | 502,203 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1778 | 502,666 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1779 | 503,118 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1780 | 503,561 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1781 | 504,743 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1782 | 505,910 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1783 | 507,064 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1784 | 508,203 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1785 | 509,329 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1786 | 510,441 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1787 | 511,538 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1788 | 512,622 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1789 | 513,692 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1790 | 514,747 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1791 | 516,217 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1792 | 517,670 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1793 | 519,107 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1794 | 520,528 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1795 | 521,932 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1796 | 523,320 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1797 | 524,691 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1798 | 526,046 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1799 | 527,385 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1800 | 528,707 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1801 | 526,477 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1802 | 524,252 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1803 | 522,030 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1804 | 519,812 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1805 | 517,599 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1806 | 515,389 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1807 | 513,184 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1808 | 510,983 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1809 | 508,786 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1810 | 506,593 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1811 | 509,312 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1812 | 512,006 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1813 | 514,675 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1814 | 517,319 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1815 | 519,938 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1816 | 522,531 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1817 | 525,099 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1818 | 527,642 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1819 | 530,160 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1820 | 532,653 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1821 | 537,018 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1822 | 541,345 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1823 | 545,637 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1824 | 549,891 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1825 | 554,108 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1826 | 558,289 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1827 | 562,432 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1828 | 566,539 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1829 | 570,609 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1830 | 574,642 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1831 | 577,753 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1832 | 580,833 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1833 | 583,881 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1834 | 586,898 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1835 | 589,884 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1836 | 592,839 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1837 | 595,762 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1838 | 598,654 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1839 | 601,516 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1840 | 604,345 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1841 | 608,924 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1842 | 613,461 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1843 | 617,954 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1844 | 622,405 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1845 | 626,812 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1846 | 631,177 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1847 | 635,499 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1848 | 639,778 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1849 | 644,015 tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1850 | 637,699 tonnes | -1.0% |
| 1851 | 648,812 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1852 | 658,116 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1853 | 667,255 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1854 | 679,509 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1855 | 689,797 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1856 | 701,845 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1857 | 711,189 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1858 | 724,958 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1859 | 739,724 tonnes | +2.0% |
| 1860 | 756,944 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1861 | 766,690 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1862 | 775,053 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1863 | 784,379 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1864 | 792,099 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1865 | 799,116 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1866 | 812,784 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1867 | 824,522 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1868 | 827,903 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1869 | 832,333 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1870 | 840,116 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1871 | 851,566 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1872 | 866,229 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1873 | 881,539 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1874 | 896,519 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1875 | 910,705 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1876 | 913,699 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1877 | 917,419 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1878 | 920,224 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1879 | 923,015 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1880 | 923,193 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1881 | 926,599 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1882 | 932,523 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1883 | 938,439 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1884 | 947,484 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1885 | 957,007 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1886 | 949,096 tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1887 | 940,103 tonnes | -0.9% |
| 1888 | 930,967 tonnes | -1.0% |
| 1889 | 923,708 tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1890 | 912,810 tonnes | -1.2% |
| 1891 | 909,902 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1892 | 904,956 tonnes | -0.5% |
| 1893 | 900,426 tonnes | -0.5% |
| 1894 | 900,144 tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1895 | 900,114 tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1896 | 896,188 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1897 | 894,615 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1898 | 892,138 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1899 | 894,151 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1900 | 888,867 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1901 | 872,698 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 1902 | 859,915 tonnes | -1.5% |
| 1903 | 848,581 tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1904 | 836,760 tonnes | -1.4% |
| 1905 | 823,446 tonnes | -1.6% |
| 1906 | 819,376 tonnes | -0.5% |
| 1907 | 817,264 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1908 | 814,335 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1909 | 802,755 tonnes | -1.4% |
| 1910 | 792,087 tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1911 | 791,206 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1912 | 791,045 tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1913 | 793,824 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1914 | 783,386 tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1915 | 778,510 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1916 | 780,431 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1917 | 728,884 tonnes | -6.6% |
| 1918 | 729,452 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1919 | 724,498 tonnes | -0.7% |
| 1920 | 739,079 tonnes | +2.0% |
| 1921 | 693,452 tonnes | -6.2% |
| 1922 | 697,247 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1923 | 688,070 tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1924 | 678,257 tonnes | -1.4% |
| 1925 | 651,113 tonnes | -4.0% |
| 1926 | 637,103 tonnes | -2.2% |
| 1927 | 643,612 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1928 | 625,384 tonnes | -2.8% |
| 1929 | 623,189 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1930 | 609,434 tonnes | -2.2% |
| 1931 | 591,981 tonnes | -2.9% |
| 1932 | 574,562 tonnes | -2.9% |
| 1933 | 560,801 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 1934 | 551,101 tonnes | -1.7% |
| 1935 | 539,814 tonnes | -2.0% |
| 1936 | 539,288 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1937 | 548,601 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1938 | 531,716 tonnes | -3.1% |
| 1939 | 538,424 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1940 | 457,777 tonnes | -15.0% |
| 1941 | 515,149 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 1942 | 477,664 tonnes | -7.3% |
| 1943 | 499,486 tonnes | +4.6% |
| 1944 | 443,318 tonnes | -11.2% |
| 1945 | 324,088 tonnes | -26.9% |
| 1946 | 469,171 tonnes | +44.8% |
| 1947 | 545,540 tonnes | +16.3% |
| 1948 | 598,517 tonnes | +9.7% |
| 1949 | 524,438 tonnes | -12.4% |
| 1950 | 514,471 tonnes | -1.9% |
| 1951 | 604,880 tonnes | +17.6% |
| 1952 | 605,089 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 552,101 tonnes | -8.8% |
| 1954 | 565,183 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 1955 | 611,996 tonnes | +8.3% |
| 1956 | 653,851 tonnes | +6.8% |
| 1957 | 601,731 tonnes | -8.0% |
| 1958 | 624,558 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1959 | 622,571 tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1960 | 701,244 tonnes | +12.6% |
| 1961 | 693,634 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 1962 | 685,126 tonnes | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 709,947 tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1964 | 709,509 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 702,183 tonnes | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 711,452 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1967 | 694,585 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 1968 | 690,669 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 705,080 tonnes | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 714,651 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1971 | 716,256 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 715,814 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 805,493 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 1974 | 725,036 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 1975 | 791,308 tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1976 | 840,807 tonnes | +6.3% |
| 1977 | 876,979 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1978 | 916,865 tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1979 | 949,365 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 940,150 tonnes | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 961,702 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 955,768 tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 957,286 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 1.01 million tonnes | +5.7% |
| 1985 | 1.06 million tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 1.11 million tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1987 | 1.12 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 1.13 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 1.15 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 1.08 million tonnes | -5.8% |
| 1991 | 1.13 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1992 | 1.06 million tonnes | -5.6% |
| 1993 | 964,187 tonnes | -9.5% |
| 1994 | 982,779 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 924,228 tonnes | -6.0% |
| 1996 | 897,935 tonnes | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 815,423 tonnes | -9.2% |
| 1998 | 766,725 tonnes | -6.0% |
| 1999 | 703,138 tonnes | -8.3% |
| 2000 | 632,699 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 2001 | 591,446 tonnes | -6.5% |
| 2002 | 554,981 tonnes | -6.2% |
| 2003 | 534,720 tonnes | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 493,766 tonnes | -7.7% |
| 2005 | 482,333 tonnes | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 448,636 tonnes | -7.0% |
| 2007 | 439,431 tonnes | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 420,599 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 404,371 tonnes | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 393,340 tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 374,037 tonnes | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 348,342 tonnes | -6.9% |
| 2013 | 341,936 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 332,072 tonnes | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 319,902 tonnes | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 322,719 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 317,322 tonnes | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 295,847 tonnes | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 289,937 tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 275,146 tonnes | -5.1% |
| 2021 | 267,595 tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 263,128 tonnes | -1.7% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 263,128 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 150,374 tonnes, 1.7× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 263,128 tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 280,480 tonnes, 94% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where emissions of air pollutants in Sweden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | +44.8% | 324,088 tonnes | 469,171 tonnes |
| 1945 | -26.9% | 443,318 tonnes | 324,088 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 483,458 tonnes | 473,077 tonnes | 493,623 tonnes | 10 |
| 1760s | 497,178 tonnes | 495,817 tonnes | 498,439 tonnes | 10 |
| 1770s | 500,963 tonnes | 498,688 tonnes | 503,118 tonnes | 10 |
| 1780s | 508,710 tonnes | 503,561 tonnes | 513,692 tonnes | 10 |
| 1790s | 521,164 tonnes | 514,747 tonnes | 527,385 tonnes | 10 |
| 1800s | 518,722 tonnes | 508,786 tonnes | 528,707 tonnes | 10 |
| 1810s | 518,528 tonnes | 506,593 tonnes | 530,160 tonnes | 10 |
| 1820s | 551,852 tonnes | 532,653 tonnes | 570,609 tonnes | 10 |
| 1830s | 588,266 tonnes | 574,642 tonnes | 601,516 tonnes | 10 |
| 1840s | 624,437 tonnes | 604,345 tonnes | 644,015 tonnes | 10 |
| 1850s | 685,890 tonnes | 637,699 tonnes | 739,724 tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 797,182 tonnes | 756,944 tonnes | 832,333 tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 892,103 tonnes | 840,116 tonnes | 923,015 tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 936,912 tonnes | 923,193 tonnes | 957,007 tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 900,544 tonnes | 892,138 tonnes | 912,810 tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 838,400 tonnes | 802,755 tonnes | 888,867 tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 769,332 tonnes | 724,498 tonnes | 793,824 tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 667,651 tonnes | 623,189 tonnes | 739,079 tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 558,572 tonnes | 531,716 tonnes | 609,434 tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 485,515 tonnes | 324,088 tonnes | 598,517 tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 595,643 tonnes | 514,471 tonnes | 653,851 tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 700,343 tonnes | 685,126 tonnes | 711,452 tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 805,257 tonnes | 714,651 tonnes | 949,365 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.04 million tonnes | 940,150 tonnes | 1.15 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 932,906 tonnes | 703,138 tonnes | 1.13 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 500,298 tonnes | 404,371 tonnes | 632,699 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 333,545 tonnes | 289,937 tonnes | 393,340 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 268,623 tonnes | 263,128 tonnes | 275,146 tonnes | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More climate change data for Sweden
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 160.40 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,738 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 983.81 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,754 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3.71 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 134.07 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,196 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,185 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 10.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 4.47 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is emissions of air pollutants in Sweden?
- Emissions of air pollutants in Sweden was 263,128 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 1.15 million tonnes in 1989.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 263,128 tonnes in 2022.
- How does Sweden rank for emissions of air pollutants?
- Sweden ranks 112th out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden 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
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.