Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions was 2.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Saudi Arabia, 1937–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in Saudi Arabia is 2.2%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 38.4% on the previous year and up 554.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in Saudi Arabia peaked at 705.4% in 1939 and was at its lowest, -100.0%, in 1951.
That places Saudi Arabia 105th 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.
Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | 250.0% | — |
| 1938 | 700.0% | +180.0% |
| 1939 | 705.4% | +0.8% |
| 1940 | 29.9% | -95.8% |
| 1941 | -15.7% | -152.4% |
| 1942 | 5.1% | -132.2% |
| 1943 | 4.8% | -4.8% |
| 1944 | 63.6% | +1220.4% |
| 1945 | 170.2% | +167.6% |
| 1946 | 185.4% | +8.9% |
| 1947 | 50.0% | -73.0% |
| 1948 | -52.4% | -204.9% |
| 1949 | 2.5% | -104.7% |
| 1950 | -72.0% | -3015.6% |
| 1951 | -100.0% | +38.8% |
| 1954 | 160.0% | -260.0% |
| 1955 | 70.7% | -55.8% |
| 1956 | -22.9% | -132.4% |
| 1957 | 28.8% | -225.7% |
| 1958 | -4.9% | -117.0% |
| 1959 | -7.2% | +46.7% |
| 1960 | 44.3% | -717.4% |
| 1961 | 33.4% | -24.5% |
| 1962 | 75.2% | +124.8% |
| 1963 | 11.0% | -85.3% |
| 1964 | 1.5% | -86.6% |
| 1965 | -40.1% | -2819.8% |
| 1966 | 52.0% | -229.5% |
| 1967 | 297.8% | +473.0% |
| 1968 | 14.1% | -95.3% |
| 1969 | 21.3% | +51.0% |
| 1970 | 28.3% | +32.9% |
| 1971 | 32.1% | +13.3% |
| 1972 | 17.6% | -45.1% |
| 1973 | 35.2% | +100.1% |
| 1974 | 3.8% | -89.1% |
| 1975 | -15.6% | -507.6% |
| 1976 | 21.9% | -239.7% |
| 1977 | 16.4% | -25.1% |
| 1978 | -2.6% | -115.8% |
| 1979 | 20.0% | -874.1% |
| 1980 | 22.6% | +13.3% |
| 1981 | 3.6% | -84.2% |
| 1982 | -9.9% | -377.5% |
| 1983 | 1.9% | -118.7% |
| 1984 | -3.3% | -277.8% |
| 1985 | 10.9% | -428.4% |
| 1986 | 18.7% | +71.7% |
| 1987 | -6.9% | -137.1% |
| 1988 | 6.2% | -189.5% |
| 1989 | 0.6% | -90.7% |
| 1990 | -10.5% | -1922.9% |
| 1991 | 34.4% | -426.7% |
| 1992 | 12.9% | -62.6% |
| 1993 | 7.9% | -38.8% |
| 1994 | -2.2% | -127.9% |
| 1995 | -5.7% | +159.4% |
| 1996 | -1.9% | -67.4% |
| 1997 | -15.7% | +745.1% |
| 1998 | -3.6% | -76.9% |
| 1999 | 8.6% | -336.9% |
| 2000 | 30.3% | +252.3% |
| 2001 | 4.8% | -84.3% |
| 2002 | 7.0% | +46.1% |
| 2003 | 1.2% | -82.2% |
| 2004 | 16.1% | +1198.1% |
| 2005 | 1.1% | -93.1% |
| 2006 | 7.9% | +614.5% |
| 2007 | -4.9% | -161.3% |
| 2008 | 10.9% | -323.8% |
| 2009 | 7.4% | -32.5% |
| 2010 | 10.3% | +39.3% |
| 2011 | -2.8% | -127.0% |
| 2012 | 12.1% | -537.2% |
| 2013 | -3.7% | -130.7% |
| 2014 | 0.3% | -108.9% |
| 2015 | 6.7% | +1935.4% |
| 2016 | 2.7% | -60.5% |
| 2017 | 0.5% | -80.6% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | +131.8% |
| 2019 | 8.6% | +618.7% |
| 2020 | -7.7% | -189.8% |
| 2021 | 6.4% | -182.8% |
| 2022 | -4.1% | -163.8% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -138.4% |
| 2024 | 2.2% | +38.4% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 2.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.5%, 1.4× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 2.2% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.6%, 3.7× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Saudi Arabia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | -3015.6% | 2.5% | -72.0% |
| 1965 | -2819.8% | 1.5% | -40.1% |
| 2015 | +1935.4% | 0.3% | 6.7% |
| 1990 | -1922.9% | 0.6% | -10.5% |
| 1944 | +1220.4% | 4.8% | 63.6% |
| 2004 | +1198.1% | 1.2% | 16.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 551.8% | 250.0% | 705.4% | 3 |
| 1940s | 44.3% | -52.4% | 185.4% | 10 |
| 1950s | 6.6% | -100.0% | 160.0% | 8 |
| 1960s | 51.0% | -40.1% | 297.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.7% | -15.6% | 35.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.4% | -9.9% | 22.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.4% | -15.7% | 34.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.2% | -4.9% | 30.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.6% | -3.7% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.3% | -7.7% | 6.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More climate change data for Saudi Arabia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 134.54 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,043 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,830 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,213 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.91 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 79.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,017 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,002 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 15.05 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3.78 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in Saudi Arabia?
- Annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in Saudi Arabia was 2.2% in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual percentage change in co₂ emissions recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 705.4% in 1939.
- What is the lowest annual percentage change in co₂ emissions recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was -100.0% in 1951.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for annual percentage change in co₂ emissions?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 105th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual percentage change in co₂ emissions rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 554.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual percentage growth in total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change.