Cumulative CO₂ emissions from oil in Iceland
Iceland: Cumulative CO₂ emissions from oil was 138.34 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from oil in Iceland, 1936–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, cumulative co₂ emissions from oil in Iceland stood at 138.34 million tonnes. That is the highest value across all 87 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and up 23.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions from oil in Iceland peaked at 138.34 million tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 1936.
Iceland ranks 125th 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.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from oil in Iceland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1936 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1937 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1940 | 67,331 tonnes | — |
| 1941 | 144,444 tonnes | +114.5% |
| 1942 | 241,412 tonnes | +67.1% |
| 1943 | 344,134 tonnes | +42.6% |
| 1944 | 444,554 tonnes | +29.2% |
| 1945 | 563,965 tonnes | +26.9% |
| 1946 | 744,664 tonnes | +32.0% |
| 1947 | 1.01 million tonnes | +35.7% |
| 1948 | 1.40 million tonnes | +38.2% |
| 1949 | 1.86 million tonnes | +33.4% |
| 1950 | 2.37 million tonnes | +27.3% |
| 1951 | 2.85 million tonnes | +20.2% |
| 1952 | 3.48 million tonnes | +22.1% |
| 1953 | 4.28 million tonnes | +23.0% |
| 1954 | 4.96 million tonnes | +15.7% |
| 1955 | 5.72 million tonnes | +15.4% |
| 1956 | 6.56 million tonnes | +14.7% |
| 1957 | 7.44 million tonnes | +13.4% |
| 1958 | 8.43 million tonnes | +13.4% |
| 1959 | 9.56 million tonnes | +13.3% |
| 1960 | 10.67 million tonnes | +11.7% |
| 1961 | 11.69 million tonnes | +9.5% |
| 1962 | 12.79 million tonnes | +9.5% |
| 1963 | 14.02 million tonnes | +9.6% |
| 1964 | 15.24 million tonnes | +8.7% |
| 1965 | 16.56 million tonnes | +8.7% |
| 1966 | 17.98 million tonnes | +8.6% |
| 1967 | 19.36 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1968 | 20.89 million tonnes | +7.9% |
| 1969 | 22.10 million tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1970 | 23.44 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1971 | 24.85 million tonnes | +6.0% |
| 1972 | 26.27 million tonnes | +5.7% |
| 1973 | 27.95 million tonnes | +6.4% |
| 1974 | 29.61 million tonnes | +6.0% |
| 1975 | 31.15 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1976 | 32.78 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1977 | 34.62 million tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1978 | 36.47 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1979 | 38.35 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 40.08 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1981 | 41.66 million tonnes | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 43.08 million tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 44.41 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1984 | 45.93 million tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 47.25 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 48.71 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 50.27 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 51.83 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 53.44 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 55.25 million tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 56.99 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 58.87 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 60.84 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 62.79 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 64.83 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 66.94 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 69.12 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 71.33 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 73.64 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 75.88 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 78.03 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 80.32 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 82.62 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 85.02 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 87.33 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 89.77 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 92.44 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 95.35 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 98.25 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 101.04 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 103.69 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 106.35 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 109.00 million tonnes | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 111.62 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 114.33 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 117.00 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 119.76 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 122.54 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 125.23 million tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 127.71 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 130.30 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 132.94 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 135.59 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 138.34 million tonnes | +2.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 138.34 million tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 681.33 million tonnes, 20% of the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 138.34 million tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.30 billion tonnes, 11% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cumulative CO₂ emissions from oil 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | +114.5% | 67,331 tonnes | 144,444 tonnes |
| 1942 | +67.1% | 144,444 tonnes | 241,412 tonnes |
| 1943 | +42.6% | 241,412 tonnes | 344,134 tonnes |
| 1948 | +38.2% | 1.01 million tonnes | 1.40 million tonnes |
| 1947 | +35.7% | 744,664 tonnes | 1.01 million tonnes |
| 1949 | +33.4% | 1.40 million tonnes | 1.86 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 2 |
| 1940s | 681,937 tonnes | 67,331 tonnes | 1.86 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 5.56 million tonnes | 2.37 million tonnes | 9.56 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 16.13 million tonnes | 10.67 million tonnes | 22.10 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 30.55 million tonnes | 23.44 million tonnes | 38.35 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.67 million tonnes | 40.08 million tonnes | 53.44 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 64.06 million tonnes | 55.25 million tonnes | 73.64 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 86.50 million tonnes | 75.88 million tonnes | 98.25 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 113.06 million tonnes | 101.04 million tonnes | 125.23 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 132.98 million tonnes | 127.71 million tonnes | 138.34 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
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 cumulative co₂ emissions from oil in Iceland?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions from oil in Iceland was 138.34 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 from oil recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 138.34 million tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions from oil recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 1936.
- How does Iceland rank for cumulative co₂ emissions from oil?
- Iceland ranks 125th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions from oil rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland 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 from oil. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 87 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from oil since the first year of available data, measured in tonnes.