CO₂ emissions per capita in Ireland
Ireland: CO₂ emissions per capita was 6.34 tonnes per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
6.34 tonnes per person
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
45th
of 213 countries
All-time high
12.32 tonnes per person
in 2001
All-time low
3.12 tonnes per person
in 1954
Years of data
75
1950–2024
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 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 75 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions per capita in Ireland, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3.34 tonnes per person | — |
| 1951 | 3.58 tonnes per person | +7.1% |
| 1952 | 3.27 tonnes per person | -8.6% |
| 1953 | 3.26 tonnes per person | -0.5% |
| 1954 | 3.12 tonnes per person | -4.2% |
| 1955 | 4.04 tonnes per person | +29.5% |
| 1956 | 3.79 tonnes per person | -6.2% |
| 1957 | 3.39 tonnes per person | -10.6% |
| 1958 | 3.14 tonnes per person | -7.4% |
| 1959 | 4.34 tonnes per person | +38.2% |
| 1960 | 3.95 tonnes per person | -8.9% |
| 1961 | 4.37 tonnes per person | +10.7% |
| 1962 | 4.63 tonnes per person | +5.9% |
| 1963 | 4.73 tonnes per person | +2.2% |
| 1964 | 4.98 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 1965 | 4.77 tonnes per person | -4.0% |
| 1966 | 5.23 tonnes per person | +9.4% |
| 1967 | 5.64 tonnes per person | +8.0% |
| 1968 | 6.09 tonnes per person | +7.9% |
| 1969 | 6.29 tonnes per person | +3.3% |
| 1970 | 6.55 tonnes per person | +4.1% |
| 1971 | 7.51 tonnes per person | +14.7% |
| 1972 | 7.26 tonnes per person | -3.4% |
| 1973 | 7.41 tonnes per person | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 7.44 tonnes per person | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 6.93 tonnes per person | -6.8% |
| 1976 | 6.9 tonnes per person | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 7.19 tonnes per person | +4.1% |
| 1978 | 7.08 tonnes per person | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 8.12 tonnes per person | +14.6% |
| 1980 | 7.69 tonnes per person | -5.2% |
| 1981 | 7.56 tonnes per person | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 7.36 tonnes per person | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 7.36 tonnes per person | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 7.27 tonnes per person | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 7.57 tonnes per person | +4.2% |
| 1986 | 8.06 tonnes per person | +6.4% |
| 1987 | 8.54 tonnes per person | +5.9% |
| 1988 | 8.48 tonnes per person | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 8.56 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 9.38 tonnes per person | +9.5% |
| 1991 | 9.53 tonnes per person | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 9.41 tonnes per person | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 9.43 tonnes per person | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 9.7 tonnes per person | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 9.93 tonnes per person | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 10.3 tonnes per person | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 10.57 tonnes per person | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 10.97 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 11.31 tonnes per person | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 11.9 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 2001 | 12.32 tonnes per person | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 11.73 tonnes per person | -4.8% |
| 2003 | 11.44 tonnes per person | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 11.35 tonnes per person | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 11.59 tonnes per person | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 11.15 tonnes per person | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 10.85 tonnes per person | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 10.56 tonnes per person | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 9.3 tonnes per person | -11.9% |
| 2010 | 9.17 tonnes per person | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 8.31 tonnes per person | -9.3% |
| 2012 | 8.31 tonnes per person | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 8.06 tonnes per person | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 7.91 tonnes per person | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 8.23 tonnes per person | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 8.49 tonnes per person | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 8.12 tonnes per person | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 7.99 tonnes per person | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 7.54 tonnes per person | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 7.03 tonnes per person | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 7.45 tonnes per person | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 7.18 tonnes per person | -3.7% |
| 2023 | 6.46 tonnes per person | -10.0% |
| 2024 | 6.34 tonnes per person | -1.9% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 6.34 tonnes per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.14 tonnes per person, 1.0× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 6.34 tonnes per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.13 tonnes per person, 1.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where CO₂ emissions per capita in Ireland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | +38.2% | 3.14 tonnes per person | 4.34 tonnes per person |
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
- 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 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 countries 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.