CO₂ emissions by sector in Nepal
Nepal: CO₂ emissions by sector was 1.51 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1.51 million tonnes
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
79th
of 187 countries
All-time high
1.70 million tonnes
in 2020
All-time low
250,000 tonnes
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023
CO₂ emissions by sector in Nepal, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for co₂ emissions by sector in Nepal is 1.51 million tonnes, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 79.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions by sector in Nepal peaked at 1.70 million tonnes in 2020 and was at its lowest, 250,000 tonnes, in 1990.
Nepal ranks 79th of 187 countries on this measure, 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 Nepal, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 250,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 320,000 tonnes | +28.0% |
| 1992 | 380,000 tonnes | +18.8% |
| 1993 | 430,000 tonnes | +13.2% |
| 1994 | 500,000 tonnes | +16.3% |
| 1995 | 580,000 tonnes | +16.0% |
| 1996 | 670,000 tonnes | +15.5% |
| 1997 | 770,000 tonnes | +14.9% |
| 1998 | 810,000 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 920,000 tonnes | +13.6% |
| 2000 | 910,000 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 1.12 million tonnes | +23.1% |
| 2002 | 1.03 million tonnes | -8.0% |
| 2003 | 1.15 million tonnes | +11.7% |
| 2004 | 970,000 tonnes | -15.7% |
| 2005 | 990,000 tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 780,000 tonnes | -21.2% |
| 2007 | 680,000 tonnes | -12.8% |
| 2008 | 530,000 tonnes | -22.1% |
| 2009 | 560,000 tonnes | +5.7% |
| 2010 | 610,000 tonnes | +8.9% |
| 2011 | 660,000 tonnes | +8.2% |
| 2012 | 800,000 tonnes | +21.2% |
| 2013 | 840,000 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 970,000 tonnes | +15.5% |
| 2015 | 850,000 tonnes | -12.4% |
| 2016 | 1.21 million tonnes | +42.4% |
| 2017 | 1.42 million tonnes | +17.4% |
| 2018 | 1.56 million tonnes | +9.9% |
| 2019 | 1.60 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 1.70 million tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2021 | 1.57 million tonnes | -7.6% |
| 2022 | 1.48 million tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2023 | 1.51 million tonnes | +2.0% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 1.51 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 630,000 tonnes, 2.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 1.51 million tonnes is above the median for South Asia, which is 1.18 million tonnes, 1.3× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 563,000 tonnes | 250,000 tonnes | 920,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 872,000 tonnes | 530,000 tonnes | 1.15 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.05 million tonnes | 610,000 tonnes | 1.60 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.56 million tonnes | 1.48 million tonnes | 1.70 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More climate change data for Nepal
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 14.93 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 23,478 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,890 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 19,588 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14.68 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 699.59 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,853 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,263 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 4,590 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 4.76 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions by sector in Nepal?
- Co₂ emissions by sector in Nepal was 1.51 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 1.70 million tonnes in 2020.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 250,000 tonnes in 1990.
- How does Nepal rank for co₂ emissions by sector?
- Nepal ranks 79th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 79.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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.