Greenhouse gas emissions in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Greenhouse gas emissions was 478,798 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
478,798 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
up 11.4%
World rank
181st
of 199 countries
All-time high
4.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2003
All-time low
110,707 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1856
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Greenhouse gas emissions in Vanuatu, 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 Vanuatu stood at 478,798 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.4% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions in Vanuatu peaked at 4.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2003 and was at its lowest, 110,707 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1856.
That places Vanuatu 181st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Greenhouse gas emissions in Vanuatu, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 123,204 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 122,664 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1852 | 116,736 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.8% |
| 1853 | 112,284 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 1854 | 114,752 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1855 | 122,284 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.6% |
| 1856 | 110,707 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.5% |
| 1857 | 116,843 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.5% |
| 1858 | 112,235 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.9% |
| 1859 | 128,292 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.3% |
| 1860 | 118,152 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.9% |
| 1861 | 114,533 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.1% |
| 1862 | 120,292 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.0% |
| 1863 | 113,154 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.9% |
| 1864 | 126,118 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.5% |
| 1865 | 118,808 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.8% |
| 1866 | 121,845 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1867 | 118,959 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.4% |
| 1868 | 131,672 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.7% |
| 1869 | 121,842 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.5% |
| 1870 | 128,357 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.3% |
| 1871 | 123,155 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.1% |
| 1872 | 137,447 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.6% |
| 1873 | 127,626 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.1% |
| 1874 | 135,754 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.4% |
| 1875 | 142,771 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.2% |
| 1876 | 141,018 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1877 | 147,014 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.3% |
| 1878 | 135,755 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.7% |
| 1879 | 142,008 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 1880 | 145,178 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1881 | 149,474 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.0% |
| 1882 | 153,566 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1883 | 148,891 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.0% |
| 1884 | 156,876 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1885 | 156,748 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1886 | 160,369 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1887 | 162,064 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1888 | 151,504 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.5% |
| 1889 | 172,817 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.1% |
| 1890 | 175,926 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1891 | 173,623 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 1892 | 171,898 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.0% |
| 1893 | 172,972 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1894 | 166,448 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 1895 | 175,787 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.6% |
| 1896 | 182,761 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.0% |
| 1897 | 177,416 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
| 1898 | 182,810 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.0% |
| 1899 | 178,958 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.1% |
| 1900 | 179,855 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1901 | 188,881 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.0% |
| 1902 | 191,660 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1903 | 190,058 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1904 | 201,784 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 1905 | 200,981 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1906 | 206,200 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1907 | 205,081 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1908 | 203,999 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1909 | 214,457 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.1% |
| 1910 | 221,946 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1911 | 219,152 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 1912 | 223,291 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1913 | 226,427 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 1914 | 230,847 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1915 | 233,039 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1916 | 234,764 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1917 | 238,213 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1918 | 242,020 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1919 | 250,452 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1920 | 245,401 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 1921 | 247,751 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1922 | 250,509 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1923 | 251,372 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1924 | 255,982 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1925 | 259,590 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 1926 | 258,386 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1927 | 260,501 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1928 | 264,468 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1929 | 264,893 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1930 | 267,702 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1931 | 268,557 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1932 | 266,692 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 1933 | 272,522 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1934 | 272,362 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1935 | 267,096 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 1936 | 279,102 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.5% |
| 1937 | 266,984 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.3% |
| 1938 | 273,154 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1939 | 270,805 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1940 | 1.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +606.0% |
| 1941 | 2.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +31.3% |
| 1942 | 2.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.9% |
| 1943 | 3.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 1944 | 3.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.9% |
| 1945 | 3.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.2% |
| 1946 | 3.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1947 | 3.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1948 | 3.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1949 | 3.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.0% |
| 1950 | 2.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -36.3% |
| 1951 | 1.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -22.5% |
| 1952 | 1.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.5% |
| 1953 | 1.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.6% |
| 1954 | 1.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.8% |
| 1955 | 1.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.1% |
| 1956 | 1.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.2% |
| 1957 | 1.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1958 | 1.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -11.4% |
| 1959 | 1.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 1960 | 768,727 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -23.2% |
| 1961 | 730,460 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.0% |
| 1962 | 664,355 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.0% |
| 1963 | 622,025 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.4% |
| 1964 | 2.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +260.5% |
| 1965 | 1.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -47.0% |
| 1966 | 946,024 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -20.4% |
| 1967 | 845,581 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.6% |
| 1968 | 774,164 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.4% |
| 1969 | 2.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +171.0% |
| 1970 | 1.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -40.3% |
| 1971 | 1.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -19.8% |
| 1972 | 920,297 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.4% |
| 1973 | 914,182 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 2.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +125.8% |
| 1975 | 1.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -39.6% |
| 1976 | 1.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.0% |
| 1977 | 1.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -14.3% |
| 1978 | 1.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.4% |
| 1979 | 858,557 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -20.4% |
| 1980 | 1.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +43.4% |
| 1981 | 1.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 1.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.8% |
| 1983 | 1.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -25.5% |
| 1984 | 1.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +18.6% |
| 1985 | 1.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +31.6% |
| 1986 | 1.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.7% |
| 1987 | 1.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.8% |
| 1988 | 1.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.9% |
| 1989 | 1.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 1.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.5% |
| 1991 | 1.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 1.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.3% |
| 1993 | 1.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.8% |
| 1994 | 2.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +58.5% |
| 1995 | 1.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -24.2% |
| 1996 | 1.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.6% |
| 1997 | 2.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +33.9% |
| 1998 | 1.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -19.9% |
| 1999 | 1.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.6% |
| 2000 | 2.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +25.8% |
| 2001 | 1.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -18.8% |
| 2002 | 1.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.0% |
| 2003 | 4.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +178.1% |
| 2004 | 3.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -25.6% |
| 2005 | 2.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -24.1% |
| 2006 | 2.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -19.7% |
| 2007 | 1.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -31.4% |
| 2008 | 1.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.7% |
| 2009 | 1.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.3% |
| 2010 | 948,585 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -22.0% |
| 2011 | 709,974 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -25.2% |
| 2012 | 666,050 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.2% |
| 2013 | 570,675 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -14.3% |
| 2014 | 463,873 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -18.7% |
| 2015 | 307,328 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -33.7% |
| 2016 | 155,377 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -49.4% |
| 2017 | 912,375 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +487.2% |
| 2018 | 536,817 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -41.2% |
| 2019 | 275,461 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -48.7% |
| 2020 | 241,859 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.2% |
| 2021 | 227,363 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.0% |
| 2022 | 352,901 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +55.2% |
| 2023 | 429,652 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +21.7% |
| 2024 | 478,798 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.4% |
Vanuatu compared with similar countries
- Vanuatu's 478,798 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 42.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 1% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Vanuatu's 478,798 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 61.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 1% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Greenhouse gas emissions in Vanuatu 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | +606.0% | 270,805 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 2017 | +487.2% | 155,377 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 912,375 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1964 | +260.5% | 622,025 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 2003 | +178.1% | 1.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1969 | +171.0% | 774,164 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1974 | +125.8% | 914,182 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 118,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 110,707 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 128,292 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 120,538 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 113,154 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 131,672 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 136,090 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 123,155 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 147,014 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 155,749 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 145,178 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 172,817 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 175,860 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 166,448 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 182,810 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 198,296 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 179,855 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 214,457 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 232,015 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 219,152 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 250,452 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 255,885 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 245,401 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 264,893 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 270,498 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 266,692 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 279,102 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 3.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 622,025 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 858,557 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 554,652 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 155,377 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 948,585 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 346,115 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 227,363 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 478,798 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
- 178 Antigua and Barbuda 724,483 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 179 Saint Lucia 569,642 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 180 Andorra 531,268 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 182 Grenada 403,726 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 183 Turks and Caicos Islands 385,594 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 184 Sao Tome and Principe 302,826 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
More climate change data for Vanuatu
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 0 kg (2023)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 645.34 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 155.08 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 490.27 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.5852 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 17.51 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 0.2124 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 0.106 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 0.1064 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0004 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions in Vanuatu?
- Greenhouse gas emissions in Vanuatu was 478,798 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 Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 4.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2003.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 110,707 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1856.
- How does Vanuatu rank for greenhouse gas emissions?
- Vanuatu ranks 181st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Vanuatu 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.