Methane emissions from agriculture in Ireland
Ireland: Methane emissions from agriculture was 15.85 million tonnes in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
15.85 million tonnes
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
54th
of 193 countries
All-time high
17.62 million tonnes
in 2017
All-time low
14.96 million tonnes
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Methane emissions from agriculture in Ireland, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 15.85 million tonnes for methane emissions from agriculture in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions from agriculture in Ireland peaked at 17.62 million tonnes in 2017 and was at its lowest, 14.96 million tonnes, in 1990.
That places Ireland 54th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Methane emissions from agriculture in Ireland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 14.96 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 15.22 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 15.28 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 15.40 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 15.43 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 15.49 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 15.62 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 15.96 million tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 16.39 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 16.52 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 17.07 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 17.05 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 16.89 million tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 16.79 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 16.79 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 16.46 million tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 16.40 million tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 16.14 million tonnes | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 16.04 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 15.95 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 15.42 million tonnes | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 15.34 million tonnes | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 15.94 million tonnes | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 16.20 million tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 16.39 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 16.61 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 17.30 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 17.62 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 15.77 million tonnes | -10.5% |
| 2019 | 15.84 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 15.86 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 16.18 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 16.00 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 15.85 million tonnes | -0.9% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 15.85 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.42 million tonnes, 6.5× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 15.85 million tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.70 million tonnes, 4.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.63 million tonnes | 14.96 million tonnes | 16.52 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.56 million tonnes | 15.95 million tonnes | 17.07 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.24 million tonnes | 15.34 million tonnes | 17.62 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.97 million tonnes | 15.85 million tonnes | 16.18 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 51 Poland 16.32 million tonnes compare
- 52 Burkina Faso 16.10 million tonnes compare
- 53 Japan 16.04 million tonnes compare
- 55 Democratic Republic of Congo 15.60 million tonnes compare
- 56 Netherlands 12.66 million tonnes compare
- 57 Zambia 12.55 million tonnes compare
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 methane emissions from agriculture in Ireland?
- Methane emissions from agriculture in Ireland was 15.85 million 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 17.62 million tonnes in 2017.
- What is the lowest methane emissions from agriculture recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.96 million tonnes in 1990.
- How does Ireland rank for methane emissions from agriculture?
- Ireland ranks 54th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is methane emissions from agriculture rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. 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 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.