Greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Greenhouse gas emissions was 42.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
42.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
up 4.1%
World rank
103rd
of 199 countries
All-time high
88.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1962
All-time low
4.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1879
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
In 2024, greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka stood at 42.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
That represents a change of up 4.1% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka peaked at 88.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1962 and was at its lowest, 4.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1879.
Sri Lanka ranks 103rd of 199 countries on this measure, 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 15.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 14.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.4% |
| 1852 | 13.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.0% |
| 1853 | 13.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.4% |
| 1854 | 14.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1855 | 14.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.0% |
| 1856 | 13.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1857 | 13.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1858 | 14.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1859 | 14.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.8% |
| 1860 | 12.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -11.6% |
| 1861 | 10.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -16.0% |
| 1862 | 10.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.2% |
| 1863 | 10.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1864 | 9.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.0% |
| 1865 | 9.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.8% |
| 1866 | 9.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.4% |
| 1867 | 9.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1868 | 9.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1869 | 8.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.1% |
| 1870 | 6.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -23.5% |
| 1871 | 5.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.3% |
| 1872 | 5.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.8% |
| 1873 | 5.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.1% |
| 1874 | 5.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1875 | 4.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.4% |
| 1876 | 4.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.2% |
| 1877 | 4.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.7% |
| 1878 | 4.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.5% |
| 1879 | 4.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 1880 | 5.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +22.4% |
| 1881 | 5.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 1882 | 6.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.1% |
| 1883 | 6.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1884 | 6.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1885 | 6.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1886 | 6.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.9% |
| 1887 | 6.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 1888 | 6.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1889 | 7.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.1% |
| 1890 | 8.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +18.3% |
| 1891 | 11.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +28.6% |
| 1892 | 11.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1893 | 10.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.2% |
| 1894 | 11.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.0% |
| 1895 | 11.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.7% |
| 1896 | 12.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.9% |
| 1897 | 13.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.9% |
| 1898 | 12.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.8% |
| 1899 | 13.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.3% |
| 1900 | 12.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.4% |
| 1901 | 11.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.9% |
| 1902 | 10.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.0% |
| 1903 | 11.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.4% |
| 1904 | 10.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.1% |
| 1905 | 11.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.5% |
| 1906 | 11.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 1907 | 11.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.8% |
| 1908 | 10.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.8% |
| 1909 | 12.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.4% |
| 1910 | 10.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -15.1% |
| 1911 | 10.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1912 | 9.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.7% |
| 1913 | 10.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1914 | 10.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.2% |
| 1915 | 9.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.9% |
| 1916 | 10.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1917 | 9.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.2% |
| 1918 | 10.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1919 | 10.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.8% |
| 1920 | 9.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.1% |
| 1921 | 9.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
| 1922 | 9.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 1923 | 9.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1924 | 9.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.2% |
| 1925 | 9.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1926 | 9.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1927 | 9.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 1928 | 9.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.1% |
| 1929 | 9.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.0% |
| 1930 | 10.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1931 | 10.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1932 | 10.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.9% |
| 1933 | 10.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1934 | 10.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1935 | 10.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1936 | 11.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.4% |
| 1937 | 11.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 1938 | 11.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.7% |
| 1939 | 11.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.8% |
| 1940 | 16.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +37.5% |
| 1941 | 19.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +17.9% |
| 1942 | 20.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.2% |
| 1943 | 22.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.4% |
| 1944 | 24.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.5% |
| 1945 | 24.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1946 | 24.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1947 | 25.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.9% |
| 1948 | 25.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.4% |
| 1949 | 28.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.1% |
| 1950 | 25.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.8% |
| 1951 | 24.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.8% |
| 1952 | 24.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.8% |
| 1953 | 25.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.1% |
| 1954 | 25.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1955 | 26.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1956 | 26.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1957 | 29.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.7% |
| 1958 | 29.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1959 | 26.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.2% |
| 1960 | 23.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -11.1% |
| 1961 | 22.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.4% |
| 1962 | 88.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +297.5% |
| 1963 | 64.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -27.5% |
| 1964 | 53.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -16.3% |
| 1965 | 44.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -17.9% |
| 1966 | 40.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.7% |
| 1967 | 40.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 35.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.0% |
| 1969 | 33.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.9% |
| 1970 | 32.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.8% |
| 1971 | 31.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.7% |
| 1972 | 29.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.5% |
| 1973 | 29.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 28.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.6% |
| 1975 | 32.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.4% |
| 1976 | 35.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.9% |
| 1977 | 36.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.9% |
| 1978 | 30.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -18.7% |
| 1979 | 28.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.6% |
| 1980 | 27.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.7% |
| 1981 | 26.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 28.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.8% |
| 1983 | 28.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 28.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 28.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 28.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 27.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.0% |
| 1988 | 27.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 26.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 1990 | 26.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 28.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1992 | 29.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 30.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 34.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.8% |
| 1995 | 34.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 34.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 32.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.2% |
| 1998 | 31.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 31.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 32.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 31.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 33.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.4% |
| 2003 | 34.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 59.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +70.2% |
| 2005 | 41.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -29.4% |
| 2006 | 40.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 60.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +51.5% |
| 2008 | 50.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -17.1% |
| 2009 | 45.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.6% |
| 2010 | 53.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.8% |
| 2011 | 48.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.5% |
| 2012 | 43.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.8% |
| 2013 | 39.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.0% |
| 2014 | 40.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 45.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.6% |
| 2016 | 46.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 49.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.8% |
| 2018 | 43.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -11.7% |
| 2019 | 42.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 41.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 41.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 39.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 2023 | 41.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 42.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 42.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 42.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 1.0× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 42.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is below the median for South Asia, which is 50.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 84% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +297.5% | 22.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 88.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 2004 | +70.2% | 34.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 59.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 2007 | +51.5% | 40.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 60.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 14.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 15.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 10.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 5.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 6.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 6.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 7.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 11.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 11.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 10.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 9.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 10.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 23.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 16.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 28.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 26.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 24.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 29.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 44.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 22.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 88.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 31.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 28.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 36.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 27.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 26.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 28.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 26.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 34.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 31.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 60.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 39.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 53.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 39.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 42.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 100 Tunisia 43.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 101 Uruguay 43.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 102 Serbia 42.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 104 Congo 41.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 105 Trinidad and Tobago 40.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 106 Benin 40.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
More climate change data for Sri Lanka
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 327.09 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,418 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 618.46 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,800 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,168 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,071 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,097 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.82 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka?
- Greenhouse gas emissions in Sri Lanka was 42.70 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 88.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1962.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1879.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for greenhouse gas emissions?
- Sri Lanka ranks 103rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.