Share of global nitrous oxide emissions in Australia
Australia: Share of global nitrous oxide emissions was 2.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
2.3%
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
8th
of 201 countries
All-time high
6.5%
in 1890
All-time low
1.9%
in 2020
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Share of global nitrous oxide emissions in Australia, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of global nitrous oxide emissions in Australia stood at 2.3%.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and down 16.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of global nitrous oxide emissions in Australia peaked at 6.5% in 1890 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2020.
That places Australia 8th out of 201 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 175 years of available data.
Share of global nitrous oxide emissions in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 5.6% | — |
| 1851 | 5.6% | +0.3% |
| 1852 | 5.6% | +0.2% |
| 1853 | 5.6% | +0.2% |
| 1854 | 5.6% | +0.2% |
| 1855 | 5.6% | +0.1% |
| 1856 | 5.6% | +0.1% |
| 1857 | 5.7% | +0.0% |
| 1858 | 5.7% | -0.0% |
| 1859 | 5.6% | -0.1% |
| 1860 | 5.6% | -0.1% |
| 1861 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
| 1862 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
| 1863 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
| 1864 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
| 1865 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
| 1866 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
| 1867 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
| 1868 | 5.6% | -0.2% |
| 1869 | 5.5% | -0.2% |
| 1870 | 5.5% | -0.2% |
| 1871 | 5.5% | +0.2% |
| 1872 | 5.6% | +0.8% |
| 1873 | 5.7% | +1.2% |
| 1874 | 5.7% | +1.3% |
| 1875 | 5.8% | +1.3% |
| 1876 | 5.9% | +1.2% |
| 1877 | 5.9% | +1.0% |
| 1878 | 6.0% | +0.8% |
| 1879 | 6.0% | +0.5% |
| 1880 | 6.0% | +0.3% |
| 1881 | 6.0% | +0.1% |
| 1882 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1883 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1884 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1885 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1886 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1887 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1888 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1889 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1890 | 6.5% | +7.2% |
| 1891 | 6.1% | -5.4% |
| 1892 | 5.8% | -5.1% |
| 1893 | 5.5% | -4.7% |
| 1894 | 5.3% | -4.2% |
| 1895 | 5.1% | -3.7% |
| 1896 | 4.9% | -3.2% |
| 1897 | 4.8% | -2.7% |
| 1898 | 4.7% | -2.1% |
| 1899 | 4.6% | -1.6% |
| 1900 | 4.6% | -1.1% |
| 1901 | 4.6% | +0.0% |
| 1902 | 4.6% | +1.4% |
| 1903 | 4.8% | +2.4% |
| 1904 | 4.9% | +3.0% |
| 1905 | 5.1% | +3.2% |
| 1906 | 5.2% | +3.2% |
| 1907 | 5.4% | +2.9% |
| 1908 | 5.5% | +2.4% |
| 1909 | 5.6% | +1.7% |
| 1910 | 5.6% | +0.9% |
| 1911 | 5.6% | +0.1% |
| 1912 | 5.6% | -0.4% |
| 1913 | 5.6% | -0.8% |
| 1914 | 5.5% | -1.1% |
| 1915 | 5.4% | -1.2% |
| 1916 | 5.4% | -1.3% |
| 1917 | 5.3% | -1.2% |
| 1918 | 5.3% | -1.0% |
| 1919 | 5.2% | -0.8% |
| 1920 | 5.2% | -0.5% |
| 1921 | 5.2% | -0.2% |
| 1922 | 5.2% | -0.0% |
| 1923 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 5.2% | +0.1% |
| 1925 | 5.2% | +0.1% |
| 1926 | 5.2% | +0.1% |
| 1927 | 5.2% | -0.0% |
| 1928 | 5.2% | -0.1% |
| 1929 | 5.2% | -0.3% |
| 1930 | 5.2% | -0.4% |
| 1931 | 5.1% | -0.6% |
| 1932 | 5.1% | -0.7% |
| 1933 | 5.0% | -0.8% |
| 1934 | 5.0% | -0.8% |
| 1935 | 5.0% | -0.9% |
| 1936 | 4.9% | -1.0% |
| 1937 | 4.9% | -1.0% |
| 1938 | 4.8% | -1.0% |
| 1939 | 4.8% | -1.0% |
| 1940 | 4.7% | -1.0% |
| 1941 | 4.6% | -1.9% |
| 1942 | 4.5% | -3.0% |
| 1943 | 4.3% | -3.5% |
| 1944 | 4.2% | -3.4% |
| 1945 | 4.1% | -3.0% |
| 1946 | 4.0% | -2.5% |
| 1947 | 3.9% | -1.9% |
| 1948 | 3.8% | -1.3% |
| 1949 | 3.8% | -0.7% |
| 1950 | 3.8% | -0.1% |
| 1951 | 3.8% | +0.3% |
| 1952 | 3.8% | +0.3% |
| 1953 | 3.8% | +0.3% |
| 1954 | 3.8% | +0.3% |
| 1955 | 3.9% | +0.3% |
| 1956 | 3.9% | +0.2% |
| 1957 | 3.9% | +0.1% |
| 1958 | 3.9% | -0.0% |
| 1959 | 3.9% | -0.1% |
| 1960 | 3.8% | -0.2% |
| 1961 | 3.7% | -4.7% |
| 1962 | 3.7% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 3.7% | -0.5% |
| 1964 | 3.7% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 3.6% | -1.7% |
| 1966 | 3.4% | -5.6% |
| 1967 | 3.4% | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 3.4% | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 3.5% | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 3.5% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 3.3% | -6.2% |
| 1972 | 4.0% | +21.9% |
| 1973 | 3.0% | -24.1% |
| 1974 | 3.3% | +9.1% |
| 1975 | 3.6% | +9.1% |
| 1976 | 4.2% | +15.6% |
| 1977 | 3.9% | -5.9% |
| 1978 | 3.1% | -21.0% |
| 1979 | 3.7% | +17.9% |
| 1980 | 3.8% | +5.3% |
| 1981 | 2.8% | -27.6% |
| 1982 | 3.5% | +26.2% |
| 1983 | 2.9% | -18.9% |
| 1984 | 2.9% | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 3.8% | +33.4% |
| 1986 | 3.3% | -14.6% |
| 1987 | 2.7% | -19.0% |
| 1988 | 2.7% | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 2.8% | +5.0% |
| 1990 | 3.3% | +15.2% |
| 1991 | 3.2% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 3.2% | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 3.2% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 3.2% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 3.1% | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 2.8% | -6.8% |
| 1997 | 2.9% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 3.0% | +5.6% |
| 1999 | 3.7% | +21.3% |
| 2000 | 3.9% | +6.6% |
| 2001 | 4.4% | +11.0% |
| 2002 | 4.1% | -7.0% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | -37.8% |
| 2004 | 3.3% | +31.4% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | -26.1% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | +27.3% |
| 2007 | 2.9% | -7.8% |
| 2008 | 2.3% | -18.7% |
| 2009 | 2.5% | +8.1% |
| 2010 | 2.0% | -19.3% |
| 2011 | 3.8% | +85.6% |
| 2012 | 3.8% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 2.4% | -37.6% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | +17.4% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | -5.1% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | -18.8% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | +31.8% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 2.3% | -17.9% |
| 2020 | 1.9% | -15.7% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | +15.5% |
| 2022 | 2.3% | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 2.3% | +1.1% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 2.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.1%, 26.5× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Australia's 2.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.1%, 43.1× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of global nitrous oxide emissions in Australia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +85.6% | 2.0% | 3.8% |
| 2003 | -37.8% | 4.1% | 2.5% |
| 2013 | -37.6% | 3.8% | 2.4% |
| 1985 | +33.4% | 2.9% | 3.8% |
| 2017 | +31.8% | 2.1% | 2.8% |
| 2004 | +31.4% | 2.5% | 3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 1860s | 5.6% | 5.5% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1870s | 5.8% | 5.5% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1880s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1890s | 5.3% | 4.6% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 1900s | 5.0% | 4.6% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1910s | 5.5% | 5.2% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1920s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 1930s | 5.0% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 1940s | 4.2% | 3.8% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 1950s | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.6% | 3.4% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.6% | 3.0% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.1% | 2.7% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.8% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.1% | 2.3% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 2.0% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More climate change data for Australia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 1.30 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 118,578 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 34,162 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 84,416 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 128.91 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 3,015 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 12,473 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 10,966 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,507 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 41.38 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of global nitrous oxide emissions in Australia?
- Share of global nitrous oxide emissions in Australia was 2.3% in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of global nitrous oxide emissions recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.5% in 1890.
- What is the lowest share of global nitrous oxide emissions recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2020.
- How does Australia rank for share of global nitrous oxide emissions?
- Australia ranks 8th out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of global nitrous oxide emissions rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of global 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 as a percentage of the world's nitrous oxide emissions.