Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Belgium
Belgium: Nitrous oxide emissions by sector was 2.54 million tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Belgium, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Belgium stood at 2.54 million tonnes.
The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Belgium peaked at 3.40 million tonnes in 1999 and was at its lowest, 2.38 million tonnes, in 2001.
Belgium ranks 100th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Belgium, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3.36 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 3.37 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 3.30 million tonnes | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 3.30 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 3.29 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 3.33 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 3.38 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 3.32 million tonnes | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 3.32 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 3.40 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 2.43 million tonnes | -28.5% |
| 2001 | 2.38 million tonnes | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 3.15 million tonnes | +32.4% |
| 2003 | 3.06 million tonnes | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 3.02 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 2.97 million tonnes | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 2.91 million tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 2.97 million tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 2.88 million tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 3.01 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 3.08 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 3.04 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 3.01 million tonnes | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 3.00 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 3.07 million tonnes | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 3.10 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 2.97 million tonnes | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 2.88 million tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 2.88 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2.92 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 2.88 million tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 2.88 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 2.63 million tonnes | -8.7% |
| 2023 | 2.54 million tonnes | -3.4% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 2.54 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.79 million tonnes, 1.4× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 2.54 million tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.65 million tonnes, 96% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Belgium 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +32.4% | 2.38 million tonnes | 3.15 million tonnes |
| 2000 | -28.5% | 3.40 million tonnes | 2.43 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.34 million tonnes | 3.29 million tonnes | 3.40 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.88 million tonnes | 2.38 million tonnes | 3.15 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.00 million tonnes | 2.88 million tonnes | 3.10 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.73 million tonnes | 2.54 million tonnes | 2.88 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More climate change data for Belgium
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 143.51 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 8,360 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 6,597 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.65 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 235.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,004 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 993.72 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 10.01 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3.75 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Belgium?
- Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Belgium was 2.54 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest nitrous oxide emissions by sector recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 3.40 million tonnes in 1999.
- What is the lowest nitrous oxide emissions by sector recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.38 million tonnes in 2001.
- How does Belgium rank for nitrous oxide emissions by sector?
- Belgium ranks 100th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrous oxide emissions by sector rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Nitrous oxide 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.