Methane emissions in Germany
Germany: Methane emissions was 56.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
56.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
30th
of 199 countries
All-time high
182.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1969
All-time low
34.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Methane emissions in Germany, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
Germany recorded 56.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents for methane emissions in 2024.
The figure is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions in Germany peaked at 182.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1969 and was at its lowest, 34.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1850.
Germany ranks 30th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Methane emissions in Germany, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 34.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 35.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1852 | 35.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1853 | 35.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1854 | 36.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1855 | 36.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1856 | 36.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1857 | 37.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1858 | 37.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1859 | 37.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1860 | 37.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1861 | 38.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1862 | 38.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 1863 | 39.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1864 | 40.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1865 | 40.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1866 | 40.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1867 | 41.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1868 | 42.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1869 | 42.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1870 | 42.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1871 | 43.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1872 | 44.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1873 | 44.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1874 | 42.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.6% |
| 1875 | 45.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 1876 | 45.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1877 | 45.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1878 | 46.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1879 | 46.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1880 | 48.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1881 | 49.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1882 | 49.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1883 | 50.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1884 | 51.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1885 | 51.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1886 | 51.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1887 | 52.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 1888 | 54.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1889 | 55.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1890 | 56.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1891 | 57.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1892 | 57.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1893 | 58.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1894 | 59.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1895 | 60.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1896 | 62.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1897 | 63.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1898 | 65.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1899 | 67.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1900 | 69.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1901 | 69.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1902 | 69.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.2% |
| 1903 | 72.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1904 | 73.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1905 | 76.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1906 | 75.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1907 | 82.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.6% |
| 1908 | 83.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1909 | 83.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1910 | 84.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1911 | 85.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1912 | 88.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.8% |
| 1913 | 91.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1914 | 88.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 1915 | 84.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 1916 | 88.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1917 | 89.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1918 | 87.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 1919 | 77.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.0% |
| 1920 | 80.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1921 | 84.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.0% |
| 1922 | 83.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.4% |
| 1923 | 72.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.0% |
| 1924 | 83.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.8% |
| 1925 | 84.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1926 | 80.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.3% |
| 1927 | 86.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.6% |
| 1928 | 88.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1929 | 91.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1930 | 85.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.1% |
| 1931 | 79.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.3% |
| 1932 | 76.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 1933 | 77.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1934 | 81.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.0% |
| 1935 | 85.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 1936 | 90.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1937 | 96.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 1938 | 100.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.9% |
| 1939 | 104.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 1940 | 106.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1941 | 108.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1942 | 111.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1943 | 113.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1944 | 109.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.2% |
| 1945 | 68.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -37.0% |
| 1946 | 61.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.9% |
| 1947 | 90.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +46.8% |
| 1948 | 96.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.7% |
| 1949 | 104.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.6% |
| 1950 | 113.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.0% |
| 1951 | 121.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.3% |
| 1952 | 127.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1953 | 130.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1954 | 135.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.0% |
| 1955 | 143.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.8% |
| 1956 | 149.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.0% |
| 1957 | 152.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1958 | 152.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1959 | 153.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1960 | 160.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1961 | 162.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1962 | 168.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1963 | 173.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1964 | 174.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 173.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 173.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 173.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 177.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1969 | 182.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 175.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 1971 | 174.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 169.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.6% |
| 1973 | 168.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 168.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 167.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 166.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 164.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 1978 | 165.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 168.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 169.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 169.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 167.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 161.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.3% |
| 1984 | 159.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 162.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 160.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 155.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 152.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 1989 | 150.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 147.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 141.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.4% |
| 1992 | 134.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.9% |
| 1993 | 129.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.0% |
| 1994 | 124.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 123.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 120.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.7% |
| 1997 | 115.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.7% |
| 1998 | 109.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.0% |
| 1999 | 106.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 100.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.6% |
| 2001 | 96.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 93.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 2003 | 90.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 87.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 84.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 81.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 81.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 79.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 77.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 76.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 74.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 73.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 71.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 70.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 69.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 67.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 67.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 65.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 63.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 61.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 60.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 58.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 57.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 56.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 56.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 6.7× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Germany's 56.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 6.5× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Methane emissions in Germany 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | +46.8% | 61.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 90.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1945 | -37.0% | 109.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 68.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 36.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 34.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 37.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 40.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 37.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 42.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 44.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 42.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 46.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 51.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 48.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 55.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 60.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 56.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 67.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 75.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 69.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 83.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 86.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 77.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 91.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 83.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 72.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 91.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 87.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 76.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 104.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 97.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 61.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 113.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 138.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 113.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 153.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 171.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 160.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 182.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 169.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 164.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 175.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 160.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 150.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 169.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 125.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 106.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 147.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 87.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 77.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 100.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 63.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 76.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 58.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 56.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 61.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 27 France 62.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 28 Tanzania 61.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 29 Myanmar 56.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 31 Kazakhstan 54.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 32 Kenya 53.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 33 Uzbekistan 52.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
More climate change data for Germany
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 1.70 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 43,971 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 9,073 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,898 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 34.24 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,246 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 12,350 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 12,227 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 122.64 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 46.14 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is methane emissions in Germany?
- Methane emissions in Germany was 56.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest methane emissions recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 182.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1969.
- What is the lowest methane emissions recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1850.
- How does Germany rank for methane emissions?
- Germany ranks 30th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is methane emissions rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Methane emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.