Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 12.12 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Saudi Arabia, 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 Saudi Arabia stood at 12.12 million tonnes.
The figure is down 5.8% on the previous year and up 93.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Saudi Arabia peaked at 12.86 million tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, 4.81 million tonnes, in 2009.
That places Saudi Arabia 74th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5.27 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 5.51 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 1992 | 5.72 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 5.61 million tonnes | -1.9% |
| 1994 | 5.45 million tonnes | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 5.13 million tonnes | -5.9% |
| 1996 | 5.27 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 5.46 million tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 5.48 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 5.31 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 5.56 million tonnes | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 5.70 million tonnes | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 5.77 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 5.88 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 6.21 million tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2005 | 6.07 million tonnes | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 5.95 million tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 6.13 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 5.34 million tonnes | -12.9% |
| 2009 | 4.81 million tonnes | -9.9% |
| 2010 | 5.27 million tonnes | +9.6% |
| 2011 | 5.92 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 2012 | 6.13 million tonnes | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 6.26 million tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 6.00 million tonnes | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 6.23 million tonnes | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 6.31 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 6.24 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 6.36 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 6.54 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 10.94 million tonnes | +67.3% |
| 2021 | 10.82 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 12.86 million tonnes | +18.9% |
| 2023 | 12.12 million tonnes | -5.8% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 12.12 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.09 million tonnes, 2.4× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 12.12 million tonnes is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 3.67 million tonnes, 3.3× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Saudi Arabia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +67.3% | 6.54 million tonnes | 10.94 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.42 million tonnes | 5.13 million tonnes | 5.72 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.74 million tonnes | 4.81 million tonnes | 6.21 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.13 million tonnes | 5.27 million tonnes | 6.54 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.69 million tonnes | 10.82 million tonnes | 12.86 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More climate change data for Saudi Arabia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 134.54 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,043 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,830 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,213 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.91 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 79.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,017 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,002 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 15.05 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3.78 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Saudi Arabia?
- Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Saudi Arabia was 12.12 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 12.86 million tonnes in 2022.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.81 million tonnes in 2009.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 74th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 93.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.