Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iran
Iran: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 21.10 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
21.10 million tonnes
Change on year
up 4.4%
World rank
6th
of 179 countries
All-time high
21.10 million tonnes
in 2023
All-time low
11.37 million tonnes
in 2016
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iran, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iran is 21.10 million tonnes, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.4% on the previous year and up 70.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iran peaked at 21.10 million tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 11.37 million tonnes, in 2016.
That places Iran 6th out of 179 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iran, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 12.30 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 13.16 million tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1992 | 15.74 million tonnes | +19.6% |
| 1993 | 13.37 million tonnes | -15.1% |
| 1994 | 13.36 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 12.78 million tonnes | -4.3% |
| 1996 | 12.68 million tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 12.13 million tonnes | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 13.64 million tonnes | +12.4% |
| 1999 | 14.87 million tonnes | +9.0% |
| 2000 | 15.06 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 19.08 million tonnes | +26.7% |
| 2002 | 13.33 million tonnes | -30.1% |
| 2003 | 12.17 million tonnes | -8.7% |
| 2004 | 13.26 million tonnes | +9.0% |
| 2005 | 14.89 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 2006 | 18.05 million tonnes | +21.2% |
| 2007 | 19.77 million tonnes | +9.5% |
| 2008 | 12.69 million tonnes | -35.8% |
| 2009 | 13.16 million tonnes | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 13.31 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 11.87 million tonnes | -10.8% |
| 2012 | 12.09 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 12.40 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 11.92 million tonnes | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 11.94 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 11.37 million tonnes | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 12.25 million tonnes | +7.7% |
| 2018 | 12.49 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 13.08 million tonnes | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 16.68 million tonnes | +27.5% |
| 2021 | 18.14 million tonnes | +8.8% |
| 2022 | 20.21 million tonnes | +11.4% |
| 2023 | 21.10 million tonnes | +4.4% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 21.10 million tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 430,000 tonnes, 49.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iran's 21.10 million tonnes is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 325,000 tonnes, 64.9× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.40 million tonnes | 12.13 million tonnes | 15.74 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.15 million tonnes | 12.17 million tonnes | 19.77 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.27 million tonnes | 11.37 million tonnes | 13.31 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.03 million tonnes | 16.68 million tonnes | 21.10 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More climate change data for Iran
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.0713 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.08 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2419 °C (2026)
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.8% (2100)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.9283 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 1.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.7738 units per person (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate -620.65 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iran?
- Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iran was 21.10 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 21.10 million tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.37 million tonnes in 2016.
- How does Iran rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Iran ranks 6th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 70.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Greenhouse gas emissions by sector. 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 of carbon dioxide-equivalents.