Cumulative CO₂ emissions by source in Ireland
Ireland: Cumulative CO₂ emissions by source was 22.33 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Cumulative CO₂ emissions by source in Ireland, 1990–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cumulative co₂ emissions by source in Ireland is 22.33 million tonnes, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and up 39.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions by source in Ireland peaked at 22.33 million tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 683,348 tonnes, in 1990.
That places Ireland 34th out of 46 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions by source in Ireland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 683,348 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 1.30 million tonnes | +90.9% |
| 1992 | 1.84 million tonnes | +40.8% |
| 1993 | 2.51 million tonnes | +36.8% |
| 1994 | 3.10 million tonnes | +23.5% |
| 1995 | 3.90 million tonnes | +25.7% |
| 1996 | 4.70 million tonnes | +20.4% |
| 1997 | 5.44 million tonnes | +15.9% |
| 1998 | 6.04 million tonnes | +11.0% |
| 1999 | 6.69 million tonnes | +10.6% |
| 2000 | 7.34 million tonnes | +9.7% |
| 2001 | 8.02 million tonnes | +9.3% |
| 2002 | 8.60 million tonnes | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 9.36 million tonnes | +8.8% |
| 2004 | 9.96 million tonnes | +6.4% |
| 2005 | 10.55 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 2006 | 11.12 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2007 | 11.79 million tonnes | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 12.31 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 12.85 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 13.53 million tonnes | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 14.13 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 14.63 million tonnes | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 15.38 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 16.00 million tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 16.62 million tonnes | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 17.25 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 17.81 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 18.48 million tonnes | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 19.02 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 19.58 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 20.37 million tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 21.14 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2023 | 21.73 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 22.33 million tonnes | +2.7% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 22.33 million tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 29.73 million tonnes, 75% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 22.33 million tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 31.11 million tonnes, 72% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cumulative CO₂ emissions by source 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +90.9% | 683,348 tonnes | 1.30 million tonnes |
| 1992 | +40.8% | 1.30 million tonnes | 1.84 million tonnes |
| 1993 | +36.8% | 1.84 million tonnes | 2.51 million tonnes |
| 1995 | +25.7% | 3.10 million tonnes | 3.90 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.62 million tonnes | 683,348 tonnes | 6.69 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.19 million tonnes | 7.34 million tonnes | 12.85 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.28 million tonnes | 13.53 million tonnes | 19.02 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.03 million tonnes | 19.58 million tonnes | 22.33 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
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 cumulative co₂ emissions by source in Ireland?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions by source in Ireland was 22.33 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions by source recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 22.33 million tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions by source recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 683,348 tonnes in 1990.
- How does Ireland rank for cumulative co₂ emissions by source?
- Ireland ranks 34th out of 46 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions by source rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Cumulative CO₂ emissions by source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from other industry sources since the first year of available data, measured in tonnes.