Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ireland
Ireland: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 23.31 million tonnes in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
23.31 million tonnes
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
56th
of 193 countries
All-time high
26.19 million tonnes
in 2017
All-time low
22.96 million tonnes
in 1990
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
Ireland recorded 23.31 million tonnes for greenhouse gas emissions by sector in 2023.
That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ireland peaked at 26.19 million tonnes in 2017 and was at its lowest, 22.96 million tonnes, in 1990.
Ireland ranks 56th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ireland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 22.96 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 23.18 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 23.30 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 23.71 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 23.91 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 23.95 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 23.94 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 24.36 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 25.15 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 25.24 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 25.67 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 25.62 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 25.40 million tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 25.42 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 25.21 million tonnes | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 24.72 million tonnes | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 24.50 million tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 24.08 million tonnes | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 23.95 million tonnes | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 24.10 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 23.17 million tonnes | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 23.01 million tonnes | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 24.05 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2013 | 24.26 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 24.50 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 24.76 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 25.63 million tonnes | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 26.19 million tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 23.97 million tonnes | -8.5% |
| 2019 | 23.84 million tonnes | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 23.96 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 24.43 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 23.89 million tonnes | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 23.31 million tonnes | -2.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 23.31 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.09 million tonnes, 4.6× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 23.31 million tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.49 million tonnes, 3.6× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.97 million tonnes | 22.96 million tonnes | 25.24 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.87 million tonnes | 23.95 million tonnes | 25.67 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.34 million tonnes | 23.01 million tonnes | 26.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.90 million tonnes | 23.31 million tonnes | 24.43 million 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 23.31 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 26.19 million tonnes in 2017.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.96 million tonnes in 1990.
- How does Ireland rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Ireland ranks 56th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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.