Methane emissions from agriculture in Iceland
Iceland: Methane emissions from agriculture was 310,000 tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
310,000 tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
152nd
of 193 countries
All-time high
370,000 tonnes
in 1990
All-time low
310,000 tonnes
in 2022
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Methane emissions from agriculture in Iceland, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, methane emissions from agriculture in Iceland stood at 310,000 tonnes. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions from agriculture in Iceland peaked at 370,000 tonnes in 1990 and was at its lowest, 310,000 tonnes, in 2022.
Iceland ranks 152nd of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Methane emissions from agriculture in Iceland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 370,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 370,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 360,000 tonnes | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 360,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 360,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 350,000 tonnes | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 360,000 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 360,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 360,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 360,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 340,000 tonnes | -5.6% |
| 2001 | 340,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 330,000 tonnes | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 320,000 tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 320,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 320,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 330,000 tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 340,000 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 340,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 350,000 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 350,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 340,000 tonnes | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 340,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 330,000 tonnes | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 350,000 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 350,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 350,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 350,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 340,000 tonnes | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 340,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 330,000 tonnes | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 320,000 tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 310,000 tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 310,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 310,000 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.42 million tonnes, 13% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 310,000 tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.70 million tonnes, 8% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 361,000 tonnes | 350,000 tonnes | 370,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 333,000 tonnes | 320,000 tonnes | 350,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 344,000 tonnes | 330,000 tonnes | 350,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 317,500 tonnes | 310,000 tonnes | 330,000 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More climate change data for Iceland
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 16.80 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 462.45 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 110.24 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 352.21 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.416 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 12.58 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 92.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 92.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.3504 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) 92.72 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is methane emissions from agriculture in Iceland?
- Methane emissions from agriculture in Iceland was 310,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest methane emissions from agriculture recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 370,000 tonnes in 1990.
- What is the lowest methane emissions from agriculture recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 310,000 tonnes in 2022.
- How does Iceland rank for methane emissions from agriculture?
- Iceland ranks 152nd out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is methane emissions from agriculture rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Methane emissions from agriculture. 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.