Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Ireland
Ireland: Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector was 1,245 kilograms per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1,245 kilograms per person
Change on year
down 7.9%
World rank
13th
of 187 countries
All-time high
2,698 kilograms per person
in 1990
All-time low
1,245 kilograms per person
in 2023
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Ireland, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per person.
Analysis
In 2023, per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Ireland stood at 1,245 kilograms per person. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.9% on the previous year and down 30.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Ireland peaked at 2,698 kilograms per person in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1,245 kilograms per person, in 2023.
Ireland ranks 13th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Ireland, year by year
| Year | kilograms per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2,698 kilograms per person | — |
| 1991 | 2,612 kilograms per person | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 2,386 kilograms per person | -8.6% |
| 1993 | 2,357 kilograms per person | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 2,370 kilograms per person | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 2,304 kilograms per person | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 2,311 kilograms per person | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 2,230 kilograms per person | -3.5% |
| 1998 | 2,336 kilograms per person | +4.8% |
| 1999 | 2,281 kilograms per person | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 2,280 kilograms per person | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 2,335 kilograms per person | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 2,271 kilograms per person | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 2,319 kilograms per person | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 2,295 kilograms per person | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 2,363 kilograms per person | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 2,261 kilograms per person | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 2,153 kilograms per person | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 2,289 kilograms per person | +6.3% |
| 2009 | 2,151 kilograms per person | -6.1% |
| 2010 | 2,220 kilograms per person | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 1,922 kilograms per person | -13.4% |
| 2012 | 1,824 kilograms per person | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 1,795 kilograms per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 1,591 kilograms per person | -11.4% |
| 2015 | 1,695 kilograms per person | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 1,721 kilograms per person | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 1,592 kilograms per person | -7.5% |
| 2018 | 1,695 kilograms per person | +6.5% |
| 2019 | 1,618 kilograms per person | -4.6% |
| 2020 | 1,686 kilograms per person | +4.2% |
| 2021 | 1,591 kilograms per person | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 1,352 kilograms per person | -15.0% |
| 2023 | 1,245 kilograms per person | -7.9% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 1,245 kilograms per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 461.71 kilograms per person, 2.7× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 1,245 kilograms per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 509.82 kilograms per person, 2.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2,389 kilograms per person | 2,230 kilograms per person | 2,698 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,272 kilograms per person | 2,151 kilograms per person | 2,363 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,767 kilograms per person | 1,591 kilograms per person | 2,220 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,469 kilograms per person | 1,245 kilograms per person | 1,686 kilograms per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 10 United States 1,497 kilograms per person compare
- 11 Belgium 1,462 kilograms per person compare
- 12 Russia 1,388 kilograms per person compare
- 14 Germany 1,227 kilograms per person compare
- 15 Antigua and Barbuda 1,179 kilograms per person compare
- 16 United Kingdom 1,028 kilograms per person 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 per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Ireland?
- Per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Ireland was 1,245 kilograms per person in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 2,698 kilograms per person in 1990.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,245 kilograms per person in 2023.
- How does Ireland rank for per capita co₂ emissions by sector?
- Ireland ranks 13th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita CO₂ 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 kilograms per person.