CO₂ emissions per capita in Ireland
Ireland: CO₂ emissions per capita was 6.34 tonnes per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
CO₂ emissions per capita in Ireland, 1950–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 6.34 tonnes per person for co₂ emissions per capita in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 19.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions per capita in Ireland peaked at 12.32 tonnes per person in 2001 and was at its lowest, 3.12 tonnes per person, in 1954.
Ireland ranks 45th of 213 regions on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 75 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.53 tonnes per person | 3.12 tonnes per person | 4.34 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.07 tonnes per person | 3.95 tonnes per person | 6.29 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.24 tonnes per person | 6.55 tonnes per person | 8.12 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.84 tonnes per person | 7.27 tonnes per person | 8.56 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.05 tonnes per person | 9.38 tonnes per person | 11.31 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.22 tonnes per person | 9.3 tonnes per person | 12.32 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.21 tonnes per person | 7.54 tonnes per person | 9.17 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.89 tonnes per person | 6.34 tonnes per person | 7.45 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 42 South Africa 6.87 tonnes per person compare
- 43 Germany 6.77 tonnes per person compare
- 44 Norway 6.67 tonnes per person compare
- 46 Netherlands 6.3 tonnes per person compare
- 47 Serbia 6.24 tonnes per person compare
- 48 New Zealand 6.23 tonnes per person compare
More climate change data for Ireland
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.1% (2100)
- Population growth 1.6% (2025)
- Population, total 5.48 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 2.0% (2025)
- Urban population 3.54 million (2025)
- Urban population 64.6% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 6.34 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 2.37 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 6.34 tonnes per person (2024)
- Share of global CO₂ emissions vs. share of population 0.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions per capita in Ireland?
- Co₂ emissions per capita in Ireland was 6.34 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions per capita recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 12.32 tonnes per person in 2001.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions per capita recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.12 tonnes per person in 1954.
- How does Ireland rank for co₂ emissions per capita?
- Ireland ranks 45th out of 213 regions with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions per capita rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes. This includes emissions from transport, electricity generation, and heating, but not land-use change.