CO₂ emissions by sector in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: CO₂ emissions by sector was 2.13 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
CO₂ emissions by sector in Afghanistan, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, co₂ emissions by sector in Afghanistan stood at 2.13 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 59.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions by sector in Afghanistan peaked at 2.60 million tonnes in 2016 and was at its lowest, 150,000 tonnes, in 1990.
That places Afghanistan 70th out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
CO₂ emissions by sector in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 150,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 160,000 tonnes | +6.7% |
| 1992 | 180,000 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 1993 | 190,000 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1994 | 200,000 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1995 | 200,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 210,000 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 200,000 tonnes | -4.8% |
| 1998 | 200,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 210,000 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 200,000 tonnes | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 210,000 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 210,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 220,000 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 250,000 tonnes | +13.6% |
| 2005 | 290,000 tonnes | +16.0% |
| 2006 | 280,000 tonnes | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 280,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 230,000 tonnes | -17.9% |
| 2009 | 390,000 tonnes | +69.6% |
| 2010 | 500,000 tonnes | +28.2% |
| 2011 | 820,000 tonnes | +64.0% |
| 2012 | 840,000 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 1.34 million tonnes | +59.5% |
| 2014 | 1.73 million tonnes | +29.1% |
| 2015 | 2.49 million tonnes | +43.9% |
| 2016 | 2.60 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 2.22 million tonnes | -14.6% |
| 2018 | 2.18 million tonnes | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 2.37 million tonnes | +8.7% |
| 2020 | 2.38 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 2.16 million tonnes | -9.2% |
| 2022 | 2.12 million tonnes | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 2.13 million tonnes | +0.5% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 2.13 million tonnes is above the median for low income countries, which is 165,000 tonnes, 12.9× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 2.13 million tonnes is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 4.85 million tonnes, 44% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where CO₂ emissions by sector in Afghanistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +69.6% | 230,000 tonnes | 390,000 tonnes |
| 2011 | +64.0% | 500,000 tonnes | 820,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 190,000 tonnes | 150,000 tonnes | 210,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 256,000 tonnes | 200,000 tonnes | 390,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.71 million tonnes | 500,000 tonnes | 2.60 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.20 million tonnes | 2.12 million tonnes | 2.38 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More climate change data for Afghanistan
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 79.22 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 23,854 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 5,965 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 17,889 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 22.51 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 638.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,345 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,090 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,255 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 4.11 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions by sector in Afghanistan?
- Co₂ emissions by sector in Afghanistan was 2.13 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 2.60 million tonnes in 2016.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 150,000 tonnes in 1990.
- How does Afghanistan rank for co₂ emissions by sector?
- Afghanistan ranks 70th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 59.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes.