Methane emissions by sector in Canada
Canada: Methane emissions by sector was 7.47 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Methane emissions by sector in Canada, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Canada recorded 7.47 million tonnes for methane emissions by sector in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1,424.5% on the previous year and up 1,014.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions by sector in Canada peaked at 7.47 million tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 60,000 tonnes, in 2001.
That places Canada 6th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Methane emissions by sector in Canada, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.38 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 1.38 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.38 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.38 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1.38 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1.38 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 3.77 million tonnes | +173.2% |
| 1997 | 1.91 million tonnes | -49.3% |
| 1998 | 7.21 million tonnes | +277.5% |
| 1999 | 3.01 million tonnes | -58.3% |
| 2000 | 1.54 million tonnes | -48.8% |
| 2001 | 60,000 tonnes | -96.1% |
| 2002 | 280,000 tonnes | +366.7% |
| 2003 | 690,000 tonnes | +146.4% |
| 2004 | 460,000 tonnes | -33.3% |
| 2005 | 270,000 tonnes | -41.3% |
| 2006 | 400,000 tonnes | +48.1% |
| 2007 | 200,000 tonnes | -50.0% |
| 2008 | 80,000 tonnes | -60.0% |
| 2009 | 240,000 tonnes | +200.0% |
| 2010 | 540,000 tonnes | +125.0% |
| 2011 | 510,000 tonnes | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 680,000 tonnes | +33.3% |
| 2013 | 670,000 tonnes | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 440,000 tonnes | -34.3% |
| 2015 | 1.59 million tonnes | +261.4% |
| 2016 | 570,000 tonnes | -64.2% |
| 2017 | 730,000 tonnes | +28.1% |
| 2018 | 1.78 million tonnes | +143.8% |
| 2019 | 790,000 tonnes | -55.6% |
| 2020 | 110,000 tonnes | -86.1% |
| 2021 | 1.70 million tonnes | +1445.5% |
| 2022 | 490,000 tonnes | -71.2% |
| 2023 | 7.47 million tonnes | +1424.5% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Methane emissions by sector in Canada 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +1445.5% | 110,000 tonnes | 1.70 million tonnes |
| 2023 | +1424.5% | 490,000 tonnes | 7.47 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.42 million tonnes | 1.38 million tonnes | 7.21 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 422,000 tonnes | 60,000 tonnes | 1.54 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 830,000 tonnes | 440,000 tonnes | 1.78 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.44 million tonnes | 110,000 tonnes | 7.47 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More climate change data for Canada
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 2.27 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 44,359 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 9,631 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,728 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 36.34 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,240 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 17,229 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 16,823 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 406.39 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 63.48 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is methane emissions by sector in Canada?
- Methane emissions by sector in Canada was 7.47 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest methane emissions by sector recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 7.47 million tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest methane emissions by sector recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 60,000 tonnes in 2001.
- How does Canada rank for methane emissions by sector?
- Canada ranks 6th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is methane emissions by sector rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,014.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Methane 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.