CO₂ emissions from transport in Kuwait
Kuwait: CO₂ emissions from transport was 17.04 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
CO₂ emissions from transport in Kuwait, 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 Kuwait stood at 17.04 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 29.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from transport in Kuwait peaked at 17.24 million tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.90 million tonnes, in 1991.
That places Kuwait 50th out of 191 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions from transport in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.84 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 1.90 million tonnes | -33.1% |
| 1992 | 4.54 million tonnes | +138.9% |
| 1993 | 4.78 million tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 5.04 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1995 | 5.34 million tonnes | +6.0% |
| 1996 | 5.45 million tonnes | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 5.70 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 1998 | 5.84 million tonnes | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 6.01 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 6.02 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 6.13 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 6.51 million tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 7.08 million tonnes | +8.8% |
| 2004 | 7.54 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 2005 | 8.16 million tonnes | +8.2% |
| 2006 | 9.26 million tonnes | +13.5% |
| 2007 | 9.57 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 10.54 million tonnes | +10.1% |
| 2009 | 11.73 million tonnes | +11.3% |
| 2010 | 12.18 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 12.50 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 12.85 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 13.15 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 13.62 million tonnes | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 14.05 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 14.50 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 15.08 million tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 15.89 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2019 | 16.31 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 13.21 million tonnes | -19.0% |
| 2021 | 15.80 million tonnes | +19.6% |
| 2022 | 17.24 million tonnes | +9.1% |
| 2023 | 17.04 million tonnes | -1.2% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 17.04 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 12.23 million tonnes, 1.4× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 17.04 million tonnes is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 15.29 million tonnes, 1.1× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where CO₂ emissions from transport in Kuwait 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +138.9% | 1.90 million tonnes | 4.54 million tonnes |
| 1991 | -33.1% | 2.84 million tonnes | 1.90 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.74 million tonnes | 1.90 million tonnes | 6.01 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.25 million tonnes | 6.02 million tonnes | 11.73 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.01 million tonnes | 12.18 million tonnes | 16.31 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.82 million tonnes | 13.21 million tonnes | 17.24 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 47 Libya 18.06 million tonnes compare
- 48 Portugal 17.47 million tonnes compare
- 49 Venezuela 17.22 million tonnes compare
- 51 Bangladesh 14.90 million tonnes compare
- 52 New Zealand 14.78 million tonnes compare
- 53 Switzerland 14.49 million tonnes compare
More climate change data for Kuwait
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 639,640 kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 721.23 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 515.61 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 205.62 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1.95 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7.34 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 4.93 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 0.07 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0186 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions from transport in Kuwait?
- Co₂ emissions from transport in Kuwait was 17.04 million 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 Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 17.24 million tonnes in 2022.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions from transport recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.90 million tonnes in 1991.
- How does Kuwait rank for co₂ emissions from transport?
- Kuwait ranks 50th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions from transport rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait 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.