CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in New Zealand
New Zealand: CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change was 32.48 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
32.48 million tonnes
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
72nd
of 215 countries
All-time high
37.49 million tonnes
in 2008
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in New Zealand, 1850–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in New Zealand stood at 32.48 million tonnes.
The figure is up 2.9% on the previous year and down 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in New Zealand peaked at 37.49 million tonnes in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 1850.
New Zealand ranks 72nd of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1851 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1852 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1853 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1854 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1855 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1856 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1857 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1858 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1859 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1860 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1861 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1862 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1863 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1864 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1865 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1866 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1867 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1868 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1869 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1870 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1871 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1872 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1873 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1874 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1875 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1876 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1877 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1878 | 355,408 tonnes | — |
| 1879 | 505,632 tonnes | +42.3% |
| 1880 | 655,856 tonnes | +29.7% |
| 1881 | 736,464 tonnes | +12.3% |
| 1882 | 828,064 tonnes | +12.4% |
| 1883 | 926,992 tonnes | +11.9% |
| 1884 | 1.06 million tonnes | +14.2% |
| 1885 | 1.13 million tonnes | +6.6% |
| 1886 | 1.18 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1887 | 1.24 million tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1888 | 1.36 million tonnes | +10.1% |
| 1889 | 1.31 million tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1890 | 1.42 million tonnes | +8.4% |
| 1891 | 1.49 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1892 | 1.50 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1893 | 1.54 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1894 | 1.61 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1895 | 1.62 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1896 | 1.77 million tonnes | +9.0% |
| 1897 | 1.88 million tonnes | +6.0% |
| 1898 | 2.02 million tonnes | +7.8% |
| 1899 | 2.18 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1900 | 2.44 million tonnes | +12.1% |
| 1901 | 2.74 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 1902 | 3.04 million tonnes | +11.0% |
| 1903 | 3.17 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1904 | 3.43 million tonnes | +8.3% |
| 1905 | 3.54 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1906 | 3.86 million tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1907 | 4.09 million tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1908 | 4.15 million tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1909 | 4.26 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1910 | 4.90 million tonnes | +14.9% |
| 1911 | 4.61 million tonnes | -6.0% |
| 1912 | 4.86 million tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1913 | 4.21 million tonnes | -13.3% |
| 1914 | 5.08 million tonnes | +20.6% |
| 1915 | 4.93 million tonnes | -3.0% |
| 1916 | 5.04 million tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1917 | 4.62 million tonnes | -8.4% |
| 1918 | 4.54 million tonnes | -1.6% |
| 1919 | 4.13 million tonnes | -9.1% |
| 1920 | 3.56 million tonnes | -13.8% |
| 1921 | 3.50 million tonnes | -1.6% |
| 1922 | 3.56 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1923 | 3.84 million tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1924 | 3.99 million tonnes | +4.0% |
| 1925 | 4.09 million tonnes | +2.5% |
| 1926 | 4.27 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1927 | 4.50 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1928 | 4.71 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1929 | 4.89 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1930 | 4.87 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1931 | 4.24 million tonnes | -12.9% |
| 1932 | 3.54 million tonnes | -16.5% |
| 1933 | 3.55 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1934 | 3.98 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 1935 | 4.15 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1936 | 4.18 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1937 | 4.38 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1938 | 4.25 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 1939 | 4.46 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1940 | 4.76 million tonnes | +6.7% |
| 1941 | 5.00 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1942 | 5.10 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1943 | 5.37 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1944 | 5.47 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1945 | 5.62 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1946 | 5.53 million tonnes | -1.6% |
| 1947 | 5.45 million tonnes | -1.5% |
| 1948 | 5.50 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1949 | 5.61 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1950 | 8.57 million tonnes | +52.8% |
| 1951 | 8.17 million tonnes | -4.7% |
| 1952 | 9.32 million tonnes | +14.1% |
| 1953 | 8.55 million tonnes | -8.3% |
| 1954 | 9.07 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1955 | 9.39 million tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1956 | 9.67 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1957 | 10.30 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 1958 | 10.18 million tonnes | -1.2% |
| 1959 | 10.32 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1960 | 11.53 million tonnes | +11.8% |
| 1961 | 11.76 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1962 | 11.20 million tonnes | -4.7% |
| 1963 | 12.22 million tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1964 | 13.09 million tonnes | +7.2% |
| 1965 | 13.69 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1966 | 14.00 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 13.63 million tonnes | -2.7% |
| 1968 | 13.47 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 1969 | 14.26 million tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1970 | 14.18 million tonnes | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 15.05 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1972 | 16.19 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1973 | 18.20 million tonnes | +12.4% |
| 1974 | 18.76 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 18.27 million tonnes | -2.6% |
| 1976 | 19.25 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1977 | 20.31 million tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1978 | 18.02 million tonnes | -11.3% |
| 1979 | 16.49 million tonnes | -8.5% |
| 1980 | 17.48 million tonnes | +6.0% |
| 1981 | 16.56 million tonnes | -5.3% |
| 1982 | 18.27 million tonnes | +10.3% |
| 1983 | 18.00 million tonnes | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 19.34 million tonnes | +7.4% |
| 1985 | 21.86 million tonnes | +13.0% |
| 1986 | 22.95 million tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1987 | 24.17 million tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1988 | 25.45 million tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1989 | 25.45 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 25.49 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 26.17 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1992 | 28.15 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1993 | 27.75 million tonnes | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 27.89 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 27.99 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 29.29 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 1997 | 31.26 million tonnes | +6.7% |
| 1998 | 29.84 million tonnes | -4.6% |
| 1999 | 31.44 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 32.22 million tonnes | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 34.36 million tonnes | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 34.52 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 36.22 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 2004 | 35.81 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 37.40 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 37.30 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 36.38 million tonnes | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 37.49 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 34.59 million tonnes | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 34.79 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 34.24 million tonnes | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 35.92 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 2013 | 35.22 million tonnes | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 35.40 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 35.81 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 34.13 million tonnes | -4.7% |
| 2017 | 35.66 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 35.69 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 36.71 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 34.11 million tonnes | -7.1% |
| 2021 | 34.60 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 31.97 million tonnes | -7.6% |
| 2023 | 31.56 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 32.48 million tonnes | +2.9% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 32.48 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.70 million tonnes, 1.1× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 32.48 million tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 16.97 million tonnes, 1.9× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in New Zealand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | +52.8% | 5.61 million tonnes | 8.57 million tonnes |
| 1879 | +42.3% | 355,408 tonnes | 505,632 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 86,104 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 505,632 tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.04 million tonnes | 655,856 tonnes | 1.36 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.70 million tonnes | 1.42 million tonnes | 2.18 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 3.47 million tonnes | 2.44 million tonnes | 4.26 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 4.69 million tonnes | 4.13 million tonnes | 5.08 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 4.09 million tonnes | 3.50 million tonnes | 4.89 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 4.16 million tonnes | 3.54 million tonnes | 4.87 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 5.34 million tonnes | 4.76 million tonnes | 5.62 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 9.36 million tonnes | 8.17 million tonnes | 10.32 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 12.88 million tonnes | 11.20 million tonnes | 14.26 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 17.47 million tonnes | 14.18 million tonnes | 20.31 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.95 million tonnes | 16.56 million tonnes | 25.45 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.53 million tonnes | 25.49 million tonnes | 31.44 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.63 million tonnes | 32.22 million tonnes | 37.49 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.36 million tonnes | 34.13 million tonnes | 36.71 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.94 million tonnes | 31.56 million tonnes | 34.60 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More climate change data for New Zealand
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 113.13 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 46,323 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,983 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,340 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 45.22 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,226 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 694.4 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 691.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.61 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in New Zealand?
- Co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in New Zealand was 32.48 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 37.49 million tonnes in 2008.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 1850.
- How does New Zealand rank for co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change?
- New Zealand ranks 72nd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in tonnes.