Emissions of air pollutants by country
Index of local air pollutant emissions since 1990. Annual emission levels are assumed to be 100 in 1990; values less than 100 therefore indicate a reduction in emissions; values over 100 indicate an increase since 1990.
What the numbers show
Emissions of air pollutants is currently reported for 31 countries. The highest value is 202.55 (1990 = 100) in Iceland; the lowest is 4.68 (1990 = 100) in Luxembourg.
The median across all reporting countries is 41.83 (1990 = 100), and the mean is 48.84 (1990 = 100).
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 43.
Over the past decade 2 countries rose and 29 fell. The largest increase was in Iceland (up 137.4%), and the largest decrease in Ireland (down 49.9%).
Emissions of air pollutants: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland | 202.55 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | up 137.4% | rising |
| 2 | New Zealand | 118.71 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 2.6% | rising |
| 3 | Turkey | 116.08 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 4 | Poland | 61.96 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 5 | Estonia | 59.54 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 16.5% | falling |
| 6 | Japan | 55.54 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 18.0% | falling |
| 7 | Netherlands | 49.66 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 21.3% | falling |
| 8 | Czechia | 48.98 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 21.7% | falling |
| 9 | Finland | 47.35 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 28.5% | falling |
| 10 | Australia | 46.66 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 32.3% | falling |
| 11 | Norway | 46.61 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 30.1% | falling |
| 12 | Canada | 46 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 28.9% | falling |
| 13 | Slovakia | 45.66 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 15.2% | falling |
| 14 | Denmark | 44.06 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 29.5% | falling |
| 15 | Austria | 43.92 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 17.7% | falling |
| 16 | Sweden | 41.83 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 21.2% | falling |
| 17 | Greece | 38.48 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 39.8% | falling |
| 18 | Hungary | 37.59 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | up 2.5% | falling |
| 19 | United States | 35.51 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 37.0% | falling |
| 20 | Spain | 34.34 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 22.1% | falling |
| 21 | Slovenia | 34.07 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 28.3% | falling |
| 22 | Latvia | 33.89 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 35.4% | falling |
| 23 | Portugal | 33.53 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 39.0% | falling |
| 24 | Italy | 32.47 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 31.6% | falling |
| 25 | Ireland | 30.92 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 49.9% | falling |
| 26 | France | 28.68 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 43.3% | falling |
| 27 | Belgium | 28.04 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 48.6% | falling |
| 28 | Switzerland | 23.15 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 44.1% | falling |
| 29 | United Kingdom | 22.25 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 43.7% | falling |
| 30 | Germany | 21.43 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 28.0% | falling |
| 31 | Luxembourg | 4.68 (1990 = 100) | 2015 | down 42.6% | volatile |
About this data
Index of local air pollutant emissions since 1990. Annual emission levels are assumed to be 100 in 1990; values less than 100 therefore indicate a reduction in emissions; values over 100 indicate an increase since 1990.