Methane emissions in New Zealand

New Zealand: Methane emissions was 34.60 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
34.60 million
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
48th
of 199 countries
All-time high
38.28 million
in 2006
All-time low
3.43 million
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024

Methane emissions in New Zealand, 1850–2024

010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M185019372024

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

New Zealand recorded 34.60 million for methane emissions in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 8.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, methane emissions in New Zealand peaked at 38.28 million in 2006 and was at its lowest, 3.43 million, in 1850.

New Zealand ranks 48th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Methane emissions in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Methane emissions in New Zealand, 1850 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1850 3.43 million —
1851 3.48 million +1.7%
1852 3.54 million +1.6%
1853 3.60 million +1.6%
1854 3.66 million +1.6%
1855 3.71 million +1.6%
1856 3.77 million +1.5%
1857 3.83 million +1.5%
1858 3.89 million +1.5%
1859 3.94 million +1.5%
1860 4.00 million +1.5%
1861 4.07 million +1.7%
1862 4.14 million +1.7%
1863 4.20 million +1.6%
1864 4.27 million +1.6%
1865 4.34 million +1.6%
1866 4.41 million +1.6%
1867 4.48 million +1.6%
1868 4.55 million +1.5%
1869 4.62 million +1.5%
1870 4.69 million +1.5%
1871 4.77 million +1.7%
1872 4.84 million +1.7%
1873 4.92 million +1.6%
1874 5.01 million +1.7%
1875 5.09 million +1.6%
1876 5.17 million +1.6%
1877 5.25 million +1.5%
1878 5.38 million +2.5%
1879 5.48 million +1.9%
1880 5.58 million +1.8%
1881 5.71 million +2.2%
1882 5.83 million +2.2%
1883 5.95 million +2.1%
1884 6.08 million +2.2%
1885 6.20 million +2.0%
1886 6.32 million +1.9%
1887 6.44 million +1.9%
1888 6.57 million +2.0%
1889 6.67 million +1.5%
1890 6.79 million +1.9%
1891 6.93 million +2.1%
1892 7.06 million +1.9%
1893 7.20 million +1.9%
1894 7.34 million +2.0%
1895 7.47 million +1.8%
1896 7.63 million +2.0%
1897 7.77 million +1.9%
1898 7.92 million +2.0%
1899 8.08 million +1.9%
1900 8.25 million +2.1%
1901 8.45 million +2.4%
1902 8.65 million +2.4%
1903 8.82 million +2.0%
1904 9.02 million +2.2%
1905 9.19 million +1.9%
1906 9.40 million +2.2%
1907 9.59 million +2.0%
1908 9.75 million +1.7%
1909 9.93 million +1.8%
1910 10.18 million +2.5%
1911 10.32 million +1.4%
1912 10.55 million +2.2%
1913 10.64 million +0.9%
1914 10.96 million +3.0%
1915 11.13 million +1.5%
1916 11.33 million +1.9%
1917 11.46 million +1.1%
1918 11.64 million +1.6%
1919 11.77 million +1.1%
1920 11.88 million +0.9%
1921 12.09 million +1.8%
1922 12.33 million +1.9%
1923 12.59 million +2.1%
1924 12.84 million +2.0%
1925 13.08 million +1.9%
1926 13.33 million +1.9%
1927 13.59 million +1.9%
1928 13.83 million +1.8%
1929 14.08 million +1.8%
1930 14.30 million +1.6%
1931 14.48 million +1.2%
1932 14.64 million +1.1%
1933 14.90 million +1.8%
1934 15.25 million +2.3%
1935 15.53 million +1.9%
1936 15.82 million +1.9%
1937 16.14 million +2.0%
1938 16.41 million +1.7%
1939 16.74 million +2.0%
1940 17.08 million +2.0%
1941 17.51 million +2.5%
1942 17.93 million +2.4%
1943 18.37 million +2.5%
1944 18.79 million +2.3%
1945 19.21 million +2.2%
1946 19.61 million +2.0%
1947 20.00 million +2.0%
1948 20.42 million +2.1%
1949 20.85 million +2.1%
1950 21.37 million +2.5%
1951 21.82 million +2.1%
1952 22.48 million +3.0%
1953 23.02 million +2.4%
1954 23.67 million +2.8%
1955 24.29 million +2.6%
1956 24.93 million +2.6%
1957 25.56 million +2.5%
1958 26.20 million +2.5%
1959 26.86 million +2.5%
1960 27.58 million +2.7%
1961 27.50 million -0.3%
1962 28.02 million +1.9%
1963 28.70 million +2.4%
1964 29.16 million +1.6%
1965 30.03 million +3.0%
1966 31.74 million +5.7%
1967 33.37 million +5.1%
1968 34.59 million +3.7%
1969 35.33 million +2.1%
1970 35.76 million +1.2%
1971 34.21 million -4.3%
1972 35.48 million +3.7%
1973 35.03 million -1.3%
1974 35.42 million +1.1%
1975 35.36 million -0.2%
1976 35.23 million -0.4%
1977 35.37 million +0.4%
1978 35.72 million +1.0%
1979 35.22 million -1.4%
1980 37.04 million +5.2%
1981 37.15 million +0.3%
1982 37.18 million +0.1%
1983 36.91 million -0.7%
1984 37.23 million +0.9%
1985 37.26 million +0.1%
1986 37.98 million +1.9%
1987 36.78 million -3.2%
1988 37.08 million +0.8%
1989 36.03 million -2.8%
1990 36.14 million +0.3%
1991 35.74 million -1.1%
1992 35.36 million -1.1%
1993 35.55 million +0.5%
1994 36.59 million +2.9%
1995 37.31 million +1.9%
1996 36.89 million -1.1%
1997 37.23 million +0.9%
1998 36.47 million -2.0%
1999 36.81 million +0.9%
2000 36.19 million -1.7%
2001 36.59 million +1.1%
2002 37.43 million +2.3%
2003 37.54 million +0.3%
2004 37.67 million +0.3%
2005 37.77 million +0.3%
2006 38.28 million +1.4%
2007 37.97 million -0.8%
2008 36.92 million -2.8%
2009 37.39 million +1.3%
2010 37.59 million +0.5%
2011 37.69 million +0.3%
2012 37.92 million +0.6%
2013 37.33 million -1.6%
2014 37.79 million +1.2%
2015 36.80 million -2.6%
2016 37.02 million +0.6%
2017 36.86 million -0.4%
2018 36.89 million +0.1%
2019 36.33 million -1.5%
2020 35.73 million -1.6%
2021 35.70 million -0.1%
2022 35.28 million -1.2%
2023 34.90 million -1.1%
2024 34.60 million -0.9%

New Zealand compared with similar countries

  • New Zealand's 34.60 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.40 million, 4.1× the median. (67 countries reporting)
  • New Zealand's 34.60 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.80 million, 6.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1850s 3.68 million 3.43 million 3.94 million 10
1860s 4.31 million 4.00 million 4.62 million 10
1870s 5.06 million 4.69 million 5.48 million 10
1880s 6.14 million 5.58 million 6.67 million 10
1890s 7.42 million 6.79 million 8.08 million 10
1900s 9.10 million 8.25 million 9.93 million 10
1910s 11.00 million 10.18 million 11.77 million 10
1920s 12.96 million 11.88 million 14.08 million 10
1930s 15.42 million 14.30 million 16.74 million 10
1940s 18.98 million 17.08 million 20.85 million 10
1950s 24.02 million 21.37 million 26.86 million 10
1960s 30.60 million 27.50 million 35.33 million 10
1970s 35.28 million 34.21 million 35.76 million 10
1980s 37.06 million 36.03 million 37.98 million 10
1990s 36.41 million 35.36 million 37.31 million 10
2000s 37.37 million 36.19 million 38.28 million 10
2010s 37.22 million 36.33 million 37.92 million 10
2020s 35.24 million 34.60 million 35.73 million 5

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 45 Kuwait 39.53 million compare
  2. 46 United Arab Emirates 37.57 million compare
  3. 47 Uganda 37.06 million compare
  4. 49 Oman 32.88 million compare
  5. 50 Peru 31.68 million compare
  6. 51 South Sudan 31.28 million compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More climate change data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is methane emissions in New Zealand?
Methane emissions in New Zealand was 34.60 million in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest methane emissions recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 38.28 million in 2006.
What is the lowest methane emissions recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 3.43 million in 1850.
How does New Zealand rank for methane emissions?
New Zealand ranks 48th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is methane emissions rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Methane emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Methane emissions in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 14 November 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/methane-emissions/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Methane emissions
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 34,825 data points, 1850–2024
Last refreshed