Methane emissions by sector in India
India: Methane emissions by sector was 1.69 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Methane emissions by sector in India, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
India recorded 1.69 million tonnes for methane emissions by sector in 2023.
That represents a change of down 31.3% on the previous year and down 48.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions by sector in India peaked at 5.95 million tonnes in 2021 and was at its lowest, 340,000 tonnes, in 2002.
India ranks 13th of 193 countries on this measure, 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 India, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.51 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 2.51 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2.51 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 2.51 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 2.51 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 2.51 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.39 million tonnes | -44.6% |
| 1997 | 1.20 million tonnes | -13.7% |
| 1998 | 1.22 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 2.52 million tonnes | +106.6% |
| 2000 | 1.44 million tonnes | -42.9% |
| 2001 | 510,000 tonnes | -64.6% |
| 2002 | 340,000 tonnes | -33.3% |
| 2003 | 1.74 million tonnes | +411.8% |
| 2004 | 2.81 million tonnes | +61.5% |
| 2005 | 1.70 million tonnes | -39.5% |
| 2006 | 1.89 million tonnes | +11.2% |
| 2007 | 3.03 million tonnes | +60.3% |
| 2008 | 1.77 million tonnes | -41.6% |
| 2009 | 5.71 million tonnes | +222.6% |
| 2010 | 4.71 million tonnes | -17.5% |
| 2011 | 2.33 million tonnes | -50.5% |
| 2012 | 5.54 million tonnes | +137.8% |
| 2013 | 3.29 million tonnes | -40.6% |
| 2014 | 2.69 million tonnes | -18.2% |
| 2015 | 1.96 million tonnes | -27.1% |
| 2016 | 2.61 million tonnes | +33.2% |
| 2017 | 4.10 million tonnes | +57.1% |
| 2018 | 3.40 million tonnes | -17.1% |
| 2019 | 2.03 million tonnes | -40.3% |
| 2020 | 1.04 million tonnes | -48.8% |
| 2021 | 5.95 million tonnes | +472.1% |
| 2022 | 2.46 million tonnes | -58.7% |
| 2023 | 1.69 million tonnes | -31.3% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1.69 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10,000 tonnes, 169.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- India's 1.69 million tonnes is above the median for South Asia, which is 20,000 tonnes, 84.5× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Methane emissions by sector in India 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 | +472.1% | 1.04 million tonnes | 5.95 million tonnes |
| 2003 | +411.8% | 340,000 tonnes | 1.74 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.14 million tonnes | 1.20 million tonnes | 2.52 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.09 million tonnes | 340,000 tonnes | 5.71 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.27 million tonnes | 1.96 million tonnes | 5.54 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.79 million tonnes | 1.04 million tonnes | 5.95 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
More climate change data for India
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 27.69 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 602,760 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 105,678 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 497,082 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 398.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 17,753 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 279,594 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 176,015 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 103,578 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 664.21 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is methane emissions by sector in India?
- Methane emissions by sector in India was 1.69 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 5.95 million tonnes in 2021.
- What is the lowest methane emissions by sector recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 340,000 tonnes in 2002.
- How does India rank for methane emissions by sector?
- India ranks 13th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is methane emissions by sector rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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.