Methane emissions by sector in Laos

Laos: Methane emissions by sector was 3.04 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
3.04 million tonnes
Change on year
up 850.0%
World rank
11th
of 193 countries
All-time high
3.63 million tonnes
in 2007
All-time low
180,000 tonnes
in 2001
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Methane emissions by sector in Laos, 1990–2023

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M1990200620231990: 1.4M tonnes1991: 1.4M tonnes1992: 1.4M tonnes1993: 1.4M tonnes1994: 1.4M tonnes1995: 1.4M tonnes1996: 2.0M tonnes1997: 1.5M tonnes1998: 3.3M tonnes1999: 2.3M tonnes2000: 1.5M tonnes2001: 180.0k tonnes2002: 700.0k tonnes2003: 890.0k tonnes2004: 3.3M tonnes2005: 1.7M tonnes2006: 820.0k tonnes2007: 3.6M tonnes2008: 580.0k tonnes2009: 880.0k tonnes2010: 2.6M tonnes2011: 510.0k tonnes2012: 1.1M tonnes2013: 1.2M tonnes2014: 1.1M tonnes2015: 1.0M tonnes2016: 1.6M tonnes2017: 550.0k tonnes2018: 470.0k tonnes2019: 980.0k tonnes2020: 2.3M tonnes2021: 550.0k tonnes2022: 320.0k tonnes2023: 3.0M tonnes

Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

In 2023, methane emissions by sector in Laos stood at 3.04 million tonnes.

The figure is up 850.0% on the previous year and up 157.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, methane emissions by sector in Laos peaked at 3.63 million tonnes in 2007 and was at its lowest, 180,000 tonnes, in 2001.

That places Laos 11th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.77 million tonnes 1.45 million tonnes 3.27 million tonnes 10
2000s 1.42 million tonnes 180,000 tonnes 3.63 million tonnes 10
2010s 1.12 million tonnes 470,000 tonnes 2.64 million tonnes 10
2020s 1.54 million tonnes 320,000 tonnes 3.04 million tonnes 4

Countries ranked near Laos

  1. 8 Brazil 5.48 million tonnes compare
  2. 9 Angola 5.44 million tonnes compare
  3. 10 Bolivia 4.93 million tonnes compare
  4. 12 Tanzania 2.21 million tonnes compare
  5. 13 India 1.69 million tonnes compare
  6. 14 Thailand 1.61 million tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More climate change data for Laos

All data for Laos →

Frequently asked questions

What is methane emissions by sector in Laos?
Methane emissions by sector in Laos was 3.04 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 Laos?
The highest recorded value was 3.63 million tonnes in 2007.
What is the lowest methane emissions by sector recorded in Laos?
The lowest recorded value was 180,000 tonnes in 2001.
How does Laos rank for methane emissions by sector?
Laos ranks 11th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
Is methane emissions by sector rising or falling in Laos?
Over the last ten years it is up 157.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Laos 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

Indicator
Methane emissions by sector
Unit
tonnes
Source
Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
193 places, 6,559 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents.