Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iceland
Iceland: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 3,303 kilograms per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector 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
The most recent figure for per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iceland is 3,303 kilograms per person, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.2% on the previous year and up 87.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iceland peaked at 4,251 kilograms per person in 2018 and was at its lowest, 892.11 kilograms per person, in 1991.
Iceland ranks 5th of 191 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iceland, year by year
| Year | kilograms per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,256 kilograms per person | — |
| 1991 | 892.11 kilograms per person | -29.0% |
| 1992 | 995.84 kilograms per person | +11.6% |
| 1993 | 1,099 kilograms per person | +10.4% |
| 1994 | 1,128 kilograms per person | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 1,271 kilograms per person | +12.7% |
| 1996 | 1,376 kilograms per person | +8.2% |
| 1997 | 1,586 kilograms per person | +15.3% |
| 1998 | 1,860 kilograms per person | +17.3% |
| 1999 | 1,874 kilograms per person | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 2,204 kilograms per person | +17.6% |
| 2001 | 1,719 kilograms per person | -22.0% |
| 2002 | 1,773 kilograms per person | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 1,795 kilograms per person | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 1,985 kilograms per person | +10.6% |
| 2005 | 2,055 kilograms per person | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 2,139 kilograms per person | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 2,278 kilograms per person | +6.5% |
| 2008 | 2,047 kilograms per person | -10.1% |
| 2009 | 1,569 kilograms per person | -23.3% |
| 2010 | 1,729 kilograms per person | +10.2% |
| 2011 | 1,911 kilograms per person | +10.6% |
| 2012 | 1,932 kilograms per person | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 1,760 kilograms per person | -8.9% |
| 2014 | 1,893 kilograms per person | +7.6% |
| 2015 | 2,447 kilograms per person | +29.3% |
| 2016 | 3,248 kilograms per person | +32.7% |
| 2017 | 3,901 kilograms per person | +20.1% |
| 2018 | 4,251 kilograms per person | +9.0% |
| 2019 | 3,160 kilograms per person | -25.7% |
| 2020 | 900.1 kilograms per person | -71.5% |
| 2021 | 1,610 kilograms per person | +78.9% |
| 2022 | 2,945 kilograms per person | +82.9% |
| 2023 | 3,303 kilograms per person | +12.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 3,303 kilograms per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 559.34 kilograms per person, 5.9× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 3,303 kilograms per person is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 174.27 kilograms per person, 19.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -71.5% | 3,160 kilograms per person | 900.1 kilograms per person |
| 2022 | +82.9% | 1,610 kilograms per person | 2,945 kilograms per person |
| 2021 | +78.9% | 900.1 kilograms per person | 1,610 kilograms per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,334 kilograms per person | 892.11 kilograms per person | 1,874 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,957 kilograms per person | 1,569 kilograms per person | 2,278 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,623 kilograms per person | 1,729 kilograms per person | 4,251 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,189 kilograms per person | 900.1 kilograms per person | 3,303 kilograms per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 2 Malta 14,541 kilograms per person compare
- 3 United Arab Emirates 8,143 kilograms per person compare
- 4 Antigua and Barbuda 3,964 kilograms per person compare
- 6 Seychelles 3,048 kilograms per person compare
- 7 Panama 2,900 kilograms per person compare
- 8 Bahamas 2,829 kilograms 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 greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iceland?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Iceland was 3,303 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 greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 4,251 kilograms per person in 2018.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 892.11 kilograms per person in 1991.
- How does Iceland rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Iceland ranks 5th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 87.7%. 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 greenhouse gas 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 of carbon dioxide-equivalents per person.