Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Nitrous oxide emissions by sector was 1.39 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1.39 million tonnes
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
117th
of 193 countries
All-time high
2.08 million tonnes
in 2020
All-time low
1.07 million tonnes
in 2018
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka is 1.39 million tonnes, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and down 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Sri Lanka peaked at 2.08 million tonnes in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.07 million tonnes, in 2018.
That places Sri Lanka 117th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.31 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 1.25 million tonnes | -4.6% |
| 1992 | 1.31 million tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 1.40 million tonnes | +6.9% |
| 1994 | 1.46 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 1.42 million tonnes | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 1.36 million tonnes | -4.2% |
| 1997 | 1.37 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 1.36 million tonnes | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 1.50 million tonnes | +10.3% |
| 2000 | 1.45 million tonnes | -3.3% |
| 2001 | 1.43 million tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 1.61 million tonnes | +12.6% |
| 2003 | 1.42 million tonnes | -11.8% |
| 2004 | 1.48 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 1.63 million tonnes | +10.1% |
| 2006 | 1.60 million tonnes | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 1.51 million tonnes | -5.6% |
| 2008 | 1.83 million tonnes | +21.2% |
| 2009 | 1.66 million tonnes | -9.3% |
| 2010 | 1.62 million tonnes | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 1.85 million tonnes | +14.2% |
| 2012 | 1.62 million tonnes | -12.4% |
| 2013 | 1.45 million tonnes | -10.5% |
| 2014 | 1.90 million tonnes | +31.0% |
| 2015 | 1.55 million tonnes | -18.4% |
| 2016 | 1.34 million tonnes | -13.5% |
| 2017 | 1.19 million tonnes | -11.2% |
| 2018 | 1.07 million tonnes | -10.1% |
| 2019 | 1.49 million tonnes | +39.3% |
| 2020 | 2.08 million tonnes | +39.6% |
| 2021 | 1.44 million tonnes | -30.8% |
| 2022 | 1.36 million tonnes | -5.6% |
| 2023 | 1.39 million tonnes | +2.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 1.39 million tonnes is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.82 million tonnes, 76% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 1.39 million tonnes is below the median for South Asia, which is 2.88 million tonnes, 48% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.37 million tonnes | 1.25 million tonnes | 1.50 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.56 million tonnes | 1.42 million tonnes | 1.83 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.51 million tonnes | 1.07 million tonnes | 1.90 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.57 million tonnes | 1.36 million tonnes | 2.08 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More climate change data for Sri Lanka
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 327.09 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,418 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 618.46 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,800 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,168 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,071 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,097 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.82 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Sri Lanka?
- Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Sri Lanka was 1.39 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 2.08 million tonnes in 2020.
- What is the lowest nitrous oxide emissions by sector recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.07 million tonnes in 2018.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for nitrous oxide emissions by sector?
- Sri Lanka ranks 117th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrous oxide emissions by sector rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.