Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Iceland
Iceland: Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry was 4.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
4.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
up 7.3%
World rank
153rd
of 198 countries
All-time high
4.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2008
All-time low
8,856 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Iceland, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 4.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents for total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.3% on the previous year and up 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Iceland peaked at 4.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2008 and was at its lowest, 8,856 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1850.
Iceland ranks 153rd of 198 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 9,388 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8,856 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9,815 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 10,037 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9,885 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10,182 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 11,302 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10,223 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12,587 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 13,013 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12,734 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13,246 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 15,615 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14,164 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 17,276 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 20,203 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 17,698 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 22,751 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 24,774 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 23,151 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 26,329 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 29,085 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 26,752 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 31,359 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 36,760 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 31,619 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 55,174 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 566,173 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 448,487 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 803,314 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 716,913 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 150 Namibia 5.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 151 Sierra Leone 4.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 152 Burundi 4.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 154 Suriname 3.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 155 Liberia 3.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 156 Bahamas 3.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
More climate change data for Iceland
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.0% (2100)
- Population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Population, total 392,404 (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.6% (2025)
- Urban population 369,715 (2025)
- Urban population 94.2% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 9.67 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 171.69 million tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 9.67 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 9.67 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Iceland?
- Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in Iceland was 4.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 4.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2008.
- What is the lowest total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,856 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1850.
- How does Iceland rank for total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry?
- Iceland ranks 153rd out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry. 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
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.