CO₂ emissions from transport in Iceland
Iceland: CO₂ emissions from transport was 940,000 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
CO₂ emissions from transport in Iceland, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, co₂ emissions from transport in Iceland stood at 940,000 tonnes.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and up 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from transport in Iceland peaked at 1.02 million tonnes in 2018 and was at its lowest, 590,000 tonnes, in 1997.
That places Iceland 145th out of 191 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions from transport in Iceland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 630,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 640,000 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 630,000 tonnes | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 630,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 660,000 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 610,000 tonnes | -7.6% |
| 1996 | 680,000 tonnes | +11.5% |
| 1997 | 590,000 tonnes | -13.2% |
| 1998 | 610,000 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 620,000 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 630,000 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 640,000 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 640,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 640,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 670,000 tonnes | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 670,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 900,000 tonnes | +34.3% |
| 2007 | 970,000 tonnes | +7.8% |
| 2008 | 910,000 tonnes | -6.2% |
| 2009 | 890,000 tonnes | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 850,000 tonnes | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 820,000 tonnes | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 800,000 tonnes | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 820,000 tonnes | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 820,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 850,000 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 930,000 tonnes | +9.4% |
| 2017 | 980,000 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 1.02 million tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 1.01 million tonnes | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 850,000 tonnes | -15.8% |
| 2021 | 870,000 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 950,000 tonnes | +9.2% |
| 2023 | 940,000 tonnes | -1.1% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 940,000 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 12.23 million tonnes, 8% of the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 940,000 tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10.50 million tonnes, 9% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where CO₂ emissions from transport in Iceland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +34.3% | 670,000 tonnes | 900,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 630,000 tonnes | 590,000 tonnes | 680,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 756,000 tonnes | 630,000 tonnes | 970,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 890,000 tonnes | 800,000 tonnes | 1.02 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 902,500 tonnes | 850,000 tonnes | 950,000 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 142 Kyrgyzstan 1.08 million tonnes compare
- 143 Fiji 1.00 million tonnes compare
- 144 Chad 960,000 tonnes compare
- 145 Suriname 940,000 tonnes compare
- 147 South Sudan 930,000 tonnes compare
- 148 Bahamas 920,000 tonnes compare
- 148 Montenegro 920,000 tonnes compare
More climate change data for Iceland
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 16.80 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 462.45 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 110.24 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 352.21 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.416 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 12.58 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 92.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 92.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.3504 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) 92.72 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions from transport in Iceland?
- Co₂ emissions from transport in Iceland was 940,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions from transport recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.02 million tonnes in 2018.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions from transport recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 590,000 tonnes in 1997.
- How does Iceland rank for co₂ emissions from transport?
- Iceland ranks 145th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions from transport rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions from transport. 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.