Per capita CO₂ emissions from oil in Iceland
Iceland: Per capita CO₂ emissions from oil was 6.98 tonnes per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
6.98 tonnes per person
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
18th
of 213 countries
All-time high
9.17 tonnes per person
in 2008
All-time low
0 tonnes per person
in 1936
Years of data
87
1936–2024
Per capita CO₂ emissions from oil in Iceland, 1936–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 6.98 tonnes per person for per capita co₂ emissions from oil in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions from oil in Iceland peaked at 9.17 tonnes per person in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes per person, in 1936.
That places Iceland 18th out of 213 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 87 years of available data.
Per capita CO₂ emissions from oil in Iceland, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1936 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1937 | 0 tonnes per person | — |
| 1940 | 0.557 tonnes per person | — |
| 1941 | 0.6289 tonnes per person | +12.9% |
| 1942 | 0.7786 tonnes per person | +23.8% |
| 1943 | 0.8112 tonnes per person | +4.2% |
| 1944 | 0.7799 tonnes per person | -3.9% |
| 1945 | 0.9121 tonnes per person | +16.9% |
| 1946 | 1.36 tonnes per person | +48.8% |
| 1947 | 1.96 tonnes per person | +44.7% |
| 1948 | 2.8 tonnes per person | +42.6% |
| 1949 | 3.33 tonnes per person | +18.8% |
| 1950 | 3.57 tonnes per person | +7.2% |
| 1951 | 3.3 tonnes per person | -7.5% |
| 1952 | 4.26 tonnes per person | +29.2% |
| 1953 | 5.3 tonnes per person | +24.3% |
| 1954 | 4.37 tonnes per person | -17.6% |
| 1955 | 4.83 tonnes per person | +10.6% |
| 1956 | 5.21 tonnes per person | +7.8% |
| 1957 | 5.34 tonnes per person | +2.5% |
| 1958 | 5.91 tonnes per person | +10.8% |
| 1959 | 6.54 tonnes per person | +10.6% |
| 1960 | 6.37 tonnes per person | -2.6% |
| 1961 | 5.65 tonnes per person | -11.3% |
| 1962 | 6.07 tonnes per person | +7.4% |
| 1963 | 6.61 tonnes per person | +8.9% |
| 1964 | 6.45 tonnes per person | -2.4% |
| 1965 | 6.88 tonnes per person | +6.6% |
| 1966 | 7.27 tonnes per person | +5.7% |
| 1967 | 6.91 tonnes per person | -4.9% |
| 1968 | 7.6 tonnes per person | +10.0% |
| 1969 | 5.96 tonnes per person | -21.5% |
| 1970 | 6.56 tonnes per person | +10.0% |
| 1971 | 6.84 tonnes per person | +4.3% |
| 1972 | 6.76 tonnes per person | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 7.92 tonnes per person | +17.1% |
| 1974 | 7.73 tonnes per person | -2.4% |
| 1975 | 7.04 tonnes per person | -8.9% |
| 1976 | 7.4 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 1977 | 8.27 tonnes per person | +11.7% |
| 1978 | 8.31 tonnes per person | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 8.29 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 7.61 tonnes per person | -8.2% |
| 1981 | 6.84 tonnes per person | -10.1% |
| 1982 | 6.08 tonnes per person | -11.2% |
| 1983 | 5.58 tonnes per person | -8.1% |
| 1984 | 6.36 tonnes per person | +14.0% |
| 1985 | 5.48 tonnes per person | -13.9% |
| 1986 | 5.98 tonnes per person | +9.2% |
| 1987 | 6.36 tonnes per person | +6.3% |
| 1988 | 6.22 tonnes per person | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 6.36 tonnes per person | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 7.14 tonnes per person | +12.2% |
| 1991 | 6.72 tonnes per person | -5.9% |
| 1992 | 7.22 tonnes per person | +7.5% |
| 1993 | 7.47 tonnes per person | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 7.3 tonnes per person | -2.3% |
| 1995 | 7.65 tonnes per person | +4.7% |
| 1996 | 7.85 tonnes per person | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 8.03 tonnes per person | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 8.06 tonnes per person | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 8.31 tonnes per person | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 7.97 tonnes per person | -4.0% |
| 2001 | 7.56 tonnes per person | -5.2% |
| 2002 | 7.95 tonnes per person | +5.2% |
| 2003 | 7.94 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 8.21 tonnes per person | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 7.78 tonnes per person | -5.2% |
| 2006 | 8.03 tonnes per person | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 8.58 tonnes per person | +6.9% |
| 2008 | 9.17 tonnes per person | +6.9% |
| 2009 | 9.1 tonnes per person | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 8.77 tonnes per person | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 8.32 tonnes per person | -5.2% |
| 2012 | 8.28 tonnes per person | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 8.16 tonnes per person | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 8.02 tonnes per person | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 8.18 tonnes per person | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 7.96 tonnes per person | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 8.03 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 7.89 tonnes per person | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 7.46 tonnes per person | -5.4% |
| 2020 | 6.77 tonnes per person | -9.3% |
| 2021 | 6.94 tonnes per person | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 6.94 tonnes per person | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 6.84 tonnes per person | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 6.98 tonnes per person | +2.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 6.98 tonnes per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.3 tonnes per person, 2.1× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 6.98 tonnes per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.34 tonnes per person, 3.0× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita CO₂ emissions from oil in Iceland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | +48.8% | 0.9121 tonnes per person | 1.36 tonnes per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 0 tonnes per person | 2 |
| 1940s | 1.39 tonnes per person | 0.557 tonnes per person | 3.33 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 4.86 tonnes per person | 3.3 tonnes per person | 6.54 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.58 tonnes per person | 5.65 tonnes per person | 7.6 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.51 tonnes per person | 6.56 tonnes per person | 8.31 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.29 tonnes per person | 5.48 tonnes per person | 7.61 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.57 tonnes per person | 6.72 tonnes per person | 8.31 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.23 tonnes per person | 7.56 tonnes per person | 9.17 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.11 tonnes per person | 7.46 tonnes per person | 8.77 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.9 tonnes per person | 6.77 tonnes per person | 6.98 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 15 Luxembourg 8.03 tonnes per person compare
- 16 Bahamas 7.64 tonnes per person compare
- 17 Antigua and Barbuda 7.09 tonnes per person compare
- 19 Qatar 6.35 tonnes per person compare
- 20 United States 6.34 tonnes per person compare
- 21 Canada 6.15 tonnes per person compare
More climate change data for Iceland
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 16.80 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 462.45 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 110.24 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 352.21 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.416 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 12.58 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 92.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 92.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.3504 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) 92.72 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita co₂ emissions from oil in Iceland?
- Per capita co₂ emissions from oil in Iceland was 6.98 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita co₂ emissions from oil recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 9.17 tonnes per person in 2008.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions from oil recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes per person in 1936.
- How does Iceland rank for per capita co₂ emissions from oil?
- Iceland ranks 18th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions from oil rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita CO₂ emissions from oil. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 87 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from oil, measured in tonnes per person.