emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Ireland
Ireland: emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre was 1.57 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
1.57 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
down 12.3%
World rank
149th
of 207 countries
All-time high
8.96 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1983
All-time low
1.57 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2022
Years of data
62
1961–2022
emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Ireland, 1961–2022
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 1.57 tonnes per square kilometre for emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 62 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.3% on the previous year and down 43.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Ireland peaked at 8.96 tonnes per square kilometre in 1983 and was at its lowest, 1.57 tonnes per square kilometre, in 2022.
That places Ireland 149th out of 207 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 62 years of available data.
emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Ireland, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 6.5 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 6.25 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.9% |
| 1963 | 6.31 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 6.28 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1965 | 5.7 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.3% |
| 1966 | 6.38 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.0% |
| 1967 | 6.6 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1968 | 7.65 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.9% |
| 1969 | 7.58 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 7.01 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.5% |
| 1971 | 7.25 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1972 | 7.16 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 6.75 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.6% |
| 1974 | 7.38 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.2% |
| 1975 | 7.38 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 7.66 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 8.12 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1978 | 8.02 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 8.66 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.9% |
| 1980 | 8.51 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 8.68 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 8.85 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 8.96 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 7.64 tonnes per square kilometre | -14.7% |
| 1985 | 7.99 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1986 | 8.44 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1987 | 8.55 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 8.4 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 8.54 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 8.13 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 1991 | 7.96 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 1992 | 7.25 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.9% |
| 1993 | 6.95 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.2% |
| 1994 | 6.37 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.3% |
| 1995 | 6.07 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.7% |
| 1996 | 6.01 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 5.45 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.4% |
| 1998 | 5.6 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 4.86 tonnes per square kilometre | -13.1% |
| 2000 | 4.7 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 4.54 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 4.36 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.0% |
| 2003 | 4.15 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.7% |
| 2004 | 4.07 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 4.11 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 3.85 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.3% |
| 2007 | 3.63 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.7% |
| 2008 | 3.59 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 3.38 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.9% |
| 2010 | 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.1% |
| 2011 | 2.87 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.5% |
| 2012 | 2.78 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 2.77 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 2.57 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.2% |
| 2015 | 2.59 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 2.54 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 2.16 tonnes per square kilometre | -14.7% |
| 2018 | 2.1 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 1.82 tonnes per square kilometre | -13.3% |
| 2020 | 1.75 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 1.79 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 1.57 tonnes per square kilometre | -12.3% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 1.57 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.78 tonnes per square kilometre, 42% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 1.57 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.19 tonnes per square kilometre, 72% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.58 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.7 tonnes per square kilometre | 7.65 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 7.54 tonnes per square kilometre | 6.75 tonnes per square kilometre | 8.66 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.46 tonnes per square kilometre | 7.64 tonnes per square kilometre | 8.96 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.46 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.86 tonnes per square kilometre | 8.13 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.04 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.38 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.7 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.54 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.82 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.14 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.7 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.57 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.79 tonnes per square kilometre | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 146 Latvia 1.63 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 147 Cuba 1.63 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 148 Georgia 1.57 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 150 Azerbaijan 1.56 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 151 Uruguay 1.55 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 152 Turks and Caicos Islands 1.53 tonnes per square kilometre compare
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 emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Ireland?
- Emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Ireland was 1.57 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 8.96 tonnes per square kilometre in 1983.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.57 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022.
- How does Ireland rank for emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre?
- Ireland ranks 149th out of 207 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 62 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
emissions of air pollutants divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
emissions of air pollutants ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- emissions of air pollutants Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
emissions of air pollutants divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.