Colombia: Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) (Mt CO2e)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Colombia's nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) (Mt CO2e) rose 4.3% on 2023 (from 0.08 to 0.09).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.6% and a typical year strayed about 22.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 108% in 2013 and the biggest yearly fall was 26.2% in 2018. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.00708 a year. A straight line explains 85% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Colombia had the 34th highest value of the 193 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Colombia in the 2024 ranking

• Philippines — 31st of 193: 0.1
• Sri Lanka — 32nd of 193: 0.09
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 33rd of 193: 0.09
• Austria — 35th of 193: 0.08
• Nepal — 36th of 193: 0.08
• Uruguay — 37th of 193: 0.08

What this measures

A measure of annual emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from industrial combustion (subsector of the energy sector) including IPCC 2006 code 1.A.2 Manufacturing Industries and Construction. The measure is standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) factors of IPCC's 5th Assessment Report (AR5).

Limitations: Global GHG emissions are currently not directly measurable, but approaches for their estimation exist, and numerous sources exist to supply data for this indicator. Reputable scientific organizations produce these data for use for research, policy analysis, climate negotiations, and broader public communications. The estimated accuracy from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes are quite high, as quantities of fossil fuels and other emissive materials (such as cement and steel) produced are well known. For these sectors, emissions estimates are roughly accurate to within 10% when aggregated to the global level and between 4% and 35% at the country level (Crippa et al., 2023).

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 55 values

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) (Mt CO2e) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 0.0001 (2024)
• Argentina — 0.05 (2024)
• Aruba — 0.0001 (2024)
• Bahamas, The — 0.0006 (2024)
• Barbados — 0.0003 (2024)
• Belize — 0.0028 (2024)
• Bolivia — 0.04 (2024)
• Brazil — 2.43 (2024)
• British Virgin Islands

More environment data for Colombia

• Population in largest city — 11.8 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 28.03% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 23.8 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 44.54% (2025)
• Rural population — 11.34 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 21.22% (2025)
• Urban population — 42.09 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 78.78% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 210,520 (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Colombia's nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) (Mt CO2e)?

0.09 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 45.92% from 0.06 in 1970 (0.7% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 0.16 in 2013 and the lowest 0.04 in 1973.

How does Colombia rank?

34th highest of 193 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) (Mt CO2e) unusual for Colombia?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.GHG.N2O.IC.MT.CE.AR5, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission, uri: https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dataset_ghg2024, publisher: JRC European Commission, date published: 2024; International Energy Agency (IEA), uri: https://edgar.j… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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