Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ireland
Ireland: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 760,000 tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
760,000 tonnes
Change on year
down 8.4%
World rank
65th
of 179 countries
All-time high
1.07 million tonnes
in 1995
All-time low
530,000 tonnes
in 2015
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ireland, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ireland stood at 760,000 tonnes.
That represents a change of down 8.4% on the previous year and up 22.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ireland peaked at 1.07 million tonnes in 1995 and was at its lowest, 530,000 tonnes, in 2015.
That places Ireland 65th out of 179 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ireland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 750,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 780,000 tonnes | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 800,000 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 810,000 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 910,000 tonnes | +12.3% |
| 1995 | 1.07 million tonnes | +17.6% |
| 1996 | 870,000 tonnes | -18.7% |
| 1997 | 880,000 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 880,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 910,000 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 930,000 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 950,000 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 930,000 tonnes | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 980,000 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2004 | 960,000 tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 1.01 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 950,000 tonnes | -5.9% |
| 2007 | 900,000 tonnes | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 950,000 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2009 | 820,000 tonnes | -13.7% |
| 2010 | 760,000 tonnes | -7.3% |
| 2011 | 720,000 tonnes | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 690,000 tonnes | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 620,000 tonnes | -10.1% |
| 2014 | 560,000 tonnes | -9.7% |
| 2015 | 530,000 tonnes | -5.4% |
| 2016 | 550,000 tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 580,000 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 2018 | 620,000 tonnes | +6.9% |
| 2019 | 630,000 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 630,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 620,000 tonnes | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 830,000 tonnes | +33.9% |
| 2023 | 760,000 tonnes | -8.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 760,000 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 735,000 tonnes, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 760,000 tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.04 million tonnes, 73% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 866,000 tonnes | 750,000 tonnes | 1.07 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 938,000 tonnes | 820,000 tonnes | 1.01 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 626,000 tonnes | 530,000 tonnes | 760,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 710,000 tonnes | 620,000 tonnes | 830,000 tonnes | 4 |
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 greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ireland?
- Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ireland was 760,000 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.07 million tonnes in 1995.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 530,000 tonnes in 2015.
- How does Ireland rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Ireland ranks 65th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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.