Greenhouse gas emissions in Libya
Libya: Greenhouse gas emissions was 94.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
94.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
61st
of 199 countries
All-time high
168.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1969
All-time low
-161,520 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1929
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Greenhouse gas emissions in Libya, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
Libya recorded 94.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents for greenhouse gas emissions in 2024.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions in Libya peaked at 168.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1969 and was at its lowest, -161,520 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1929.
That places Libya 61st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Greenhouse gas emissions in Libya, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 325,868 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 328,054 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1852 | 329,920 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1853 | 331,651 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1854 | 333,227 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1855 | 334,749 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1856 | 336,145 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1857 | 336,540 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1858 | 334,777 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1859 | 332,397 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 1860 | 328,316 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1861 | 325,413 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1862 | 322,776 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1863 | 320,215 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1864 | 317,683 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1865 | 314,915 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1866 | 312,124 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1867 | 309,312 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1868 | 306,483 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1869 | 303,617 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1870 | 304,234 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1871 | 304,055 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1872 | 303,929 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1873 | 303,850 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1874 | 303,961 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1875 | 304,295 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1876 | 304,505 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1877 | 304,441 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1878 | 303,938 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.2% |
| 1879 | 302,774 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1880 | 343,813 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.6% |
| 1881 | 360,290 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 1882 | 368,130 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1883 | 369,907 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1884 | 369,781 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1885 | 368,382 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1886 | 366,109 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 1887 | 363,237 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1888 | 359,886 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1889 | 356,183 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.0% |
| 1890 | 449,889 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +26.3% |
| 1891 | 493,519 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.7% |
| 1892 | 517,522 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.9% |
| 1893 | 527,893 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1894 | 534,076 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1895 | 536,670 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1896 | 537,531 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1897 | 537,150 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1898 | 535,771 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.3% |
| 1899 | 533,457 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1900 | 432,782 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -18.9% |
| 1901 | 377,805 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.7% |
| 1902 | 342,653 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.3% |
| 1903 | 318,698 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.0% |
| 1904 | 298,020 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.5% |
| 1905 | 276,449 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.2% |
| 1906 | 255,445 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.6% |
| 1907 | 237,300 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.1% |
| 1908 | 217,610 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.3% |
| 1909 | 198,788 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.6% |
| 1910 | 126,627 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -36.3% |
| 1911 | 83,290 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -34.2% |
| 1912 | 52,725 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -36.7% |
| 1913 | 33,305 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -36.8% |
| 1914 | 17,392 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -47.8% |
| 1915 | 1,820 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -89.5% |
| 1916 | -13,094 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -819.2% |
| 1917 | -22,979 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +75.5% |
| 1918 | -33,859 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +47.3% |
| 1919 | -46,846 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +38.4% |
| 1920 | -60,744 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +29.7% |
| 1921 | -70,621 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.3% |
| 1922 | -87,423 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +23.8% |
| 1923 | -96,980 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.9% |
| 1924 | -109,109 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.5% |
| 1925 | -117,079 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.3% |
| 1926 | -129,571 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.7% |
| 1927 | -142,405 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.9% |
| 1928 | -152,502 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.1% |
| 1929 | -161,520 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.9% |
| 1930 | 177,744 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -210.0% |
| 1931 | 330,101 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +85.7% |
| 1932 | 414,283 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +25.5% |
| 1933 | 444,016 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.2% |
| 1934 | 458,910 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1935 | 463,364 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1936 | 474,249 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1937 | 479,525 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1938 | 491,505 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1939 | 491,772 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1940 | 559,656 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.8% |
| 1941 | 597,835 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.8% |
| 1942 | 643,077 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.6% |
| 1943 | 694,651 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.0% |
| 1944 | 757,383 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.0% |
| 1945 | 813,246 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.4% |
| 1946 | 855,368 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.2% |
| 1947 | 891,491 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.2% |
| 1948 | 974,637 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.3% |
| 1949 | 1.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1950 | 7.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +629.3% |
| 1951 | 8.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +17.3% |
| 1952 | 8.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.6% |
| 1953 | 11.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +41.6% |
| 1954 | 11.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1955 | 11.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 1956 | 11.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.0% |
| 1957 | 10.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.8% |
| 1958 | 11.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.7% |
| 1959 | 14.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +28.6% |
| 1960 | 23.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +64.0% |
| 1961 | 38.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +64.4% |
| 1962 | 34.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -11.4% |
| 1963 | 44.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +31.9% |
| 1964 | 19.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -56.3% |
| 1965 | 28.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +43.2% |
| 1966 | 69.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +146.0% |
| 1967 | 76.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.1% |
| 1968 | 95.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +25.1% |
| 1969 | 168.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +75.5% |
| 1970 | 127.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -24.2% |
| 1971 | 116.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.5% |
| 1972 | 93.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -19.9% |
| 1973 | 91.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 63.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -30.1% |
| 1975 | 64.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 87.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +35.1% |
| 1977 | 93.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.0% |
| 1978 | 92.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 101.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.0% |
| 1980 | 93.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.1% |
| 1981 | 71.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -22.7% |
| 1982 | 74.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 72.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 70.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 72.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 74.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 70.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.9% |
| 1988 | 81.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.8% |
| 1989 | 81.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 89.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.6% |
| 1991 | 92.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 80.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.2% |
| 1993 | 76.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.3% |
| 1994 | 99.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +29.9% |
| 1995 | 108.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.8% |
| 1996 | 110.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 96.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.3% |
| 1998 | 93.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 88.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.8% |
| 2000 | 94.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 90.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 89.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 97.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.0% |
| 2004 | 98.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 100.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 94.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.0% |
| 2007 | 84.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.4% |
| 2008 | 90.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.6% |
| 2009 | 89.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 99.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.2% |
| 2011 | 69.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -29.7% |
| 2012 | 96.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +37.9% |
| 2013 | 77.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -19.8% |
| 2014 | 84.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.7% |
| 2015 | 75.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.7% |
| 2016 | 71.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 90.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +26.4% |
| 2018 | 90.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 104.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +15.1% |
| 2020 | 50.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -51.3% |
| 2021 | 85.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +69.7% |
| 2022 | 86.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 93.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.9% |
| 2024 | 94.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
Libya compared with similar countries
- Libya's 94.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 42.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 2.2× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Libya's 94.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 98.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 97% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Greenhouse gas emissions in Libya 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | -819.2% | 1,820 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13,094 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1950 | +629.3% | 1.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 7.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1930 | +210.0% | -161,520 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 177,744 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1966 | +146.0% | 28.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 69.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1915 | -89.5% | 17,392 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1,820 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1931 | +85.7% | 177,744 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 330,101 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 332,333 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 325,868 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 336,540 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 316,085 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 303,617 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 328,316 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 303,998 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 302,774 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 304,505 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 362,572 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 343,813 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 369,907 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 520,348 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 449,889 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 537,531 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 295,555 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 198,788 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 432,782 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 19,838 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -46,846 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 126,627 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | -112,795 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -161,520 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -60,744 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 422,547 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 177,744 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 491,772 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 779,826 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 559,656 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 10.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 7.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 59.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 19.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 168.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 93.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 63.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 127.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 76.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 70.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 93.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 93.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 76.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 110.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 93.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 84.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 100.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 85.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 69.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 104.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 50.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 94.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near Libya
- 58 Kenya 99.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 59 Zambia 99.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 60 Mongolia 98.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 62 Belarus 94.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 63 Cambodia 91.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 64 Romania 90.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
More climate change data for Libya
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 76.27 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,350 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,621 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,729 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.12 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 97.48 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 455.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 452.01 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.59 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 1.71 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions in Libya?
- Greenhouse gas emissions in Libya was 94.99 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 greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 168.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1969.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was -161,520 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1929.
- How does Libya rank for greenhouse gas emissions?
- Libya ranks 61st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Libya data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Greenhouse gas 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
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.