Nitrous oxide emissions in United States
United States: Nitrous oxide emissions was 239.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
239.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
3rd
of 201 countries
All-time high
305.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1976
All-time low
31.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Nitrous oxide emissions in United States, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nitrous oxide emissions in United States is 239.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrous oxide emissions in United States peaked at 305.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1976 and was at its lowest, 31.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1850.
That places United States 3rd out of 201 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 33.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 31.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 35.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 36.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 35.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 37.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 43.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 37.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 51.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 53.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 52.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 55.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 60.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 57.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 63.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 67.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 63.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 71.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 75.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 71.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 79.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 79.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 78.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 80.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 80.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 78.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 84.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 112.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 85.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 144.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 164.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 147.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 185.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 240.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 191.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 285.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 292.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 277.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 305.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 269.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 257.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 286.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 262.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 247.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 273.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 261.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 250.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 268.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 251.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 244.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 256.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 241.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 239.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 244.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More climate change data for United States
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 4.1% (2100)
- Population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Population, total 341.79 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.6% (2025)
- Urban population 274.08 million (2025)
- Urban population 80.2% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 434.87 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrous oxide emissions in United States?
- Nitrous oxide emissions in United States was 239.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest nitrous oxide emissions recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 305.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1976.
- What is the lowest nitrous oxide emissions recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1850.
- How does United States rank for nitrous oxide emissions?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is nitrous oxide emissions rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Nitrous oxide emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.