Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in New Zealand
New Zealand: Nitrous oxide emissions by sector was 11.65 million tonnes in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
11.65 million tonnes
Change on year
down 4.2%
World rank
39th
of 193 countries
All-time high
13.37 million tonnes
in 2005
All-time low
11.65 million tonnes
in 2023
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in New Zealand, 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 New Zealand is 11.65 million tonnes, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.2% on the previous year and down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrous oxide emissions by sector in New Zealand peaked at 13.37 million tonnes in 2005 and was at its lowest, 11.65 million tonnes, in 2023.
New Zealand ranks 39th of 193 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 12.87 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 12.65 million tonnes | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 12.49 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 12.39 million tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 12.77 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 13.11 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 12.71 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 12.64 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 12.35 million tonnes | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 12.69 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 12.60 million tonnes | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 12.73 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 12.99 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 13.30 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 13.31 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 13.37 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 13.20 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 13.06 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 12.68 million tonnes | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 12.48 million tonnes | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 12.68 million tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 12.76 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 12.87 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 12.85 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 13.06 million tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 12.89 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 12.82 million tonnes | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 12.85 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 12.88 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 12.81 million tonnes | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 12.77 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 12.62 million tonnes | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 12.16 million tonnes | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 11.65 million tonnes | -4.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 11.65 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.79 million tonnes, 6.5× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 11.65 million tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.39 million tonnes, 8.4× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.67 million tonnes | 12.35 million tonnes | 13.11 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.97 million tonnes | 12.48 million tonnes | 13.37 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.85 million tonnes | 12.68 million tonnes | 13.06 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.30 million tonnes | 11.65 million tonnes | 12.77 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More climate change data for New Zealand
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 113.13 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 46,323 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,983 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,340 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 45.22 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,226 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 694.4 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 691.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.61 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrous oxide emissions by sector in New Zealand?
- Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in New Zealand was 11.65 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 13.37 million tonnes in 2005.
- What is the lowest nitrous oxide emissions by sector recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.65 million tonnes in 2023.
- How does New Zealand rank for nitrous oxide emissions by sector?
- New Zealand ranks 39th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrous oxide emissions by sector rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.