Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Nepal
Nepal: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 20.90 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
20.90 million tonnes
Change on year
down 24.0%
World rank
59th
of 193 countries
All-time high
27.88 million tonnes
in 2021
All-time low
18.55 million tonnes
in 1991
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Nepal, 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 Nepal stood at 20.90 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 24.0% on the previous year and down 20.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Nepal peaked at 27.88 million tonnes in 2021 and was at its lowest, 18.55 million tonnes, in 1991.
Nepal ranks 59th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Nepal, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 19.10 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 18.55 million tonnes | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 19.21 million tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 18.95 million tonnes | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 19.98 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1995 | 20.58 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 20.82 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 21.08 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 21.44 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 21.50 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 21.46 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 21.74 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 21.77 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 22.07 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 22.32 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 22.65 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 22.61 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 23.40 million tonnes | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 23.83 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 24.24 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 24.83 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 25.51 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 25.53 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 26.25 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 26.14 million tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 25.95 million tonnes | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 26.97 million tonnes | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 26.67 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 27.35 million tonnes | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 27.51 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 27.83 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 27.88 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 27.49 million tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 20.90 million tonnes | -24.0% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 20.90 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.91 million tonnes, 1.9× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 20.90 million tonnes is above the median for South Asia, which is 13.85 million tonnes, 1.5× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.12 million tonnes | 18.55 million tonnes | 21.50 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.61 million tonnes | 21.46 million tonnes | 24.24 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.27 million tonnes | 24.83 million tonnes | 27.51 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.02 million tonnes | 20.90 million tonnes | 27.88 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 56 Ireland 23.31 million tonnes compare
- 57 Ukraine 23.20 million tonnes compare
- 58 Japan 22.77 million tonnes compare
- 60 Netherlands 18.62 million tonnes compare
- 61 Mozambique 18.18 million tonnes compare
- 62 Afghanistan 16.07 million tonnes compare
More climate change data for Nepal
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 14.93 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 23,478 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,890 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 19,588 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14.68 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 699.59 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,853 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,263 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 4,590 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 4.76 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Nepal?
- Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Nepal was 20.90 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 27.88 million tonnes in 2021.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.55 million tonnes in 1991.
- How does Nepal rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Nepal ranks 59th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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.