CO₂ emissions by sector in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: CO₂ emissions by sector was 370,000 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
370,000 tonnes
Change on year
down 14.0%
World rank
117th
of 187 countries
All-time high
430,000 tonnes
in 2022
All-time low
100,000 tonnes
in 1991
Years of data
34
1990–2023
CO₂ emissions by sector in Costa Rica, 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 Costa Rica stood at 370,000 tonnes.
That represents a change of down 14.0% on the previous year and up 54.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions by sector in Costa Rica peaked at 430,000 tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, 100,000 tonnes, in 1991.
That places Costa Rica 117th out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions by sector in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 120,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 100,000 tonnes | -16.7% |
| 1992 | 120,000 tonnes | +20.0% |
| 1993 | 110,000 tonnes | -8.3% |
| 1994 | 129,999 tonnes | +18.2% |
| 1995 | 140,000 tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1996 | 170,000 tonnes | +21.4% |
| 1997 | 190,000 tonnes | +11.8% |
| 1998 | 210,000 tonnes | +10.5% |
| 1999 | 240,000 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 2000 | 210,000 tonnes | -12.5% |
| 2001 | 210,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 240,000 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 2003 | 190,000 tonnes | -20.8% |
| 2004 | 250,000 tonnes | +31.6% |
| 2005 | 210,000 tonnes | -16.0% |
| 2006 | 240,000 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 2007 | 240,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 240,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 240,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 259,999 tonnes | +8.3% |
| 2011 | 230,000 tonnes | -11.5% |
| 2012 | 230,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 240,000 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 250,000 tonnes | +4.2% |
| 2015 | 259,999 tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 290,000 tonnes | +11.5% |
| 2017 | 310,000 tonnes | +6.9% |
| 2018 | 330,000 tonnes | +6.5% |
| 2019 | 360,000 tonnes | +9.1% |
| 2020 | 360,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 400,000 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 2022 | 430,000 tonnes | +7.5% |
| 2023 | 370,000 tonnes | -14.0% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 370,000 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.00 million tonnes, 18% of the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 370,000 tonnes is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 530,000 tonnes, 70% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 153,000 tonnes | 100,000 tonnes | 240,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 227,000 tonnes | 190,000 tonnes | 250,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 276,000 tonnes | 230,000 tonnes | 360,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 390,000 tonnes | 360,000 tonnes | 430,000 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More climate change data for Costa Rica
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 108.28 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,751 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 942.79 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,808 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 688.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 623.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 65.45 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.35 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions by sector in Costa Rica?
- Co₂ emissions by sector in Costa Rica was 370,000 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 430,000 tonnes in 2022.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 100,000 tonnes in 1991.
- How does Costa Rica rank for co₂ emissions by sector?
- Costa Rica ranks 117th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 54.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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.