Per capita CO₂ emissions from transport in Iceland
Iceland: Per capita CO₂ emissions from transport was 2,425 kilograms per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Per capita CO₂ emissions from transport in Iceland, 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 from transport in Iceland stood at 2,425 kilograms per person.
The figure is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions from transport in Iceland peaked at 3,112 kilograms per person in 2007 and was at its lowest, 2,176 kilograms per person, in 1997.
That places Iceland 19th out of 191 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Per capita CO₂ emissions from transport in Iceland, year by year
| Year | kilograms per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2,472 kilograms per person | — |
| 1991 | 2,482 kilograms per person | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 2,413 kilograms per person | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 2,389 kilograms per person | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 2,481 kilograms per person | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 2,280 kilograms per person | -8.1% |
| 1996 | 2,528 kilograms per person | +10.9% |
| 1997 | 2,176 kilograms per person | -13.9% |
| 1998 | 2,225 kilograms per person | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 2,235 kilograms per person | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 2,240 kilograms per person | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 2,245 kilograms per person | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 2,225 kilograms per person | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 2,210 kilograms per person | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 2,293 kilograms per person | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 2,257 kilograms per person | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 2,962 kilograms per person | +31.2% |
| 2007 | 3,112 kilograms per person | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 2,866 kilograms per person | -7.9% |
| 2009 | 2,793 kilograms per person | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 2,672 kilograms per person | -4.4% |
| 2011 | 2,569 kilograms per person | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 2,493 kilograms per person | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 2,532 kilograms per person | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 2,504 kilograms per person | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 2,568 kilograms per person | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 2,771 kilograms per person | +7.9% |
| 2017 | 2,853 kilograms per person | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 2,891 kilograms per person | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 2,800 kilograms per person | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 2,318 kilograms per person | -17.2% |
| 2021 | 2,335 kilograms per person | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 2,498 kilograms per person | +7.0% |
| 2023 | 2,425 kilograms per person | -2.9% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 2,425 kilograms per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,818 kilograms per person, 1.3× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 2,425 kilograms per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1,518 kilograms per person, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita CO₂ emissions from transport 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +31.2% | 2,257 kilograms per person | 2,962 kilograms per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2,368 kilograms per person | 2,176 kilograms per person | 2,528 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,520 kilograms per person | 2,210 kilograms per person | 3,112 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,665 kilograms per person | 2,493 kilograms per person | 2,891 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,394 kilograms per person | 2,318 kilograms per person | 2,498 kilograms per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
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 transport in Iceland?
- Per capita co₂ emissions from transport in Iceland was 2,425 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 from transport recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 3,112 kilograms per person in 2007.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions from transport recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,176 kilograms per person in 1997.
- How does Iceland rank for per capita co₂ emissions from transport?
- Iceland ranks 19th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions from transport rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland 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 from transport. 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.