Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Ireland
Ireland: Nitrous oxide emissions by sector was 7.46 million tonnes in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
7.46 million tonnes
Change on year
down 5.4%
World rank
52nd
of 193 countries
All-time high
8.76 million tonnes
in 1998
All-time low
7.46 million tonnes
in 2023
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Ireland, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Ireland is 7.46 million tonnes, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.4% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Ireland peaked at 8.76 million tonnes in 1998 and was at its lowest, 7.46 million tonnes, in 2023.
That places Ireland 52nd out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Ireland, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8.00 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 7.96 million tonnes | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 8.02 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 8.31 million tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 8.48 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 8.46 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 8.32 million tonnes | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 8.40 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 8.76 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1999 | 8.71 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 8.60 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 8.57 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 8.51 million tonnes | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 8.62 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 8.42 million tonnes | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 8.26 million tonnes | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 8.10 million tonnes | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 7.94 million tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 7.91 million tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 8.15 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 7.76 million tonnes | -4.8% |
| 2011 | 7.67 million tonnes | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 8.11 million tonnes | +5.7% |
| 2013 | 8.06 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 8.11 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 8.15 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 8.33 million tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 8.57 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 8.20 million tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 8.00 million tonnes | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 8.10 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 8.25 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 7.89 million tonnes | -4.4% |
| 2023 | 7.46 million tonnes | -5.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 7.46 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.79 million tonnes, 4.2× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 7.46 million tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.65 million tonnes, 2.8× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.34 million tonnes | 7.96 million tonnes | 8.76 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.31 million tonnes | 7.91 million tonnes | 8.62 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.10 million tonnes | 7.67 million tonnes | 8.57 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.92 million tonnes | 7.46 million tonnes | 8.25 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 49 Burkina Faso 8.18 million tonnes compare
- 50 Mozambique 7.90 million tonnes compare
- 51 Kazakhstan 7.58 million tonnes compare
- 53 Peru 7.19 million tonnes compare
- 54 Uruguay 7.02 million tonnes compare
- 55 Japan 6.73 million tonnes compare
More climate change data for Ireland
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 320.11 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 18,098 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,665 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 14,433 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 13.83 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 515.47 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,902 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,899 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2.7 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.17 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Ireland?
- Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Ireland was 7.46 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 8.76 million tonnes in 1998.
- What is the lowest nitrous oxide emissions by sector recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.46 million tonnes in 2023.
- How does Ireland rank for nitrous oxide emissions by sector?
- Ireland ranks 52nd out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrous oxide emissions by sector rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ireland 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.