CO₂ emissions by sector in Ireland
Ireland: CO₂ emissions by sector was 6.47 million tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
6.47 million tonnes
Change on year
down 6.4%
World rank
47th
of 187 countries
All-time high
10.27 million tonnes
in 2008
All-time low
6.47 million tonnes
in 2023
Years of data
34
1990–2023
CO₂ emissions by sector in Ireland, 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 Ireland stood at 6.47 million tonnes. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.4% on the previous year and down 22.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions by sector in Ireland peaked at 10.27 million tonnes in 2008 and was at its lowest, 6.47 million tonnes, in 2023.
That places Ireland 47th out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions by sector in Ireland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9.48 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 9.23 million tonnes | -2.6% |
| 1992 | 8.49 million tonnes | -8.0% |
| 1993 | 8.43 million tonnes | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 8.51 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 8.32 million tonnes | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 8.41 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 8.19 million tonnes | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 8.67 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1999 | 8.56 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 8.67 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 9.02 million tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 8.92 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 9.26 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 9.33 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 9.82 million tonnes | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 9.65 million tonnes | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 9.46 million tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 10.27 million tonnes | +8.6% |
| 2009 | 9.75 million tonnes | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 10.12 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 8.80 million tonnes | -13.0% |
| 2012 | 8.39 million tonnes | -4.7% |
| 2013 | 8.30 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 7.41 million tonnes | -10.7% |
| 2015 | 7.97 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 8.18 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 7.66 million tonnes | -6.4% |
| 2018 | 8.26 million tonnes | +7.8% |
| 2019 | 7.98 million tonnes | -3.4% |
| 2020 | 8.40 million tonnes | +5.3% |
| 2021 | 8.00 million tonnes | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 6.91 million tonnes | -13.6% |
| 2023 | 6.47 million tonnes | -6.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 6.47 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.00 million tonnes, 3.2× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 6.47 million tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.03 million tonnes, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.63 million tonnes | 8.19 million tonnes | 9.48 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.41 million tonnes | 8.67 million tonnes | 10.27 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.31 million tonnes | 7.41 million tonnes | 10.12 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.45 million tonnes | 6.47 million tonnes | 8.40 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More climate change data for Ireland
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 320.11 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 18,098 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,665 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 14,433 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 13.83 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 515.47 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,902 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,899 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2.7 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.17 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions by sector in Ireland?
- Co₂ emissions by sector in Ireland was 6.47 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 10.27 million tonnes in 2008.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.47 million tonnes in 2023.
- How does Ireland rank for co₂ emissions by sector?
- Ireland ranks 47th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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.