Iceland: Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Iceland's methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e) rose 7.1% on 2023 (from 0.0014 to 0.0015).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.9% and a typical year strayed about 9.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 50% in 1990 and the biggest yearly fall was 25% in 1985. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 7% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2024, Iceland had the 172nd highest value of the 197 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 Iceland in the 2024 ranking

• New Caledonia — 169th of 197: 0.002
• Singapore — 170th of 197: 0.0019
• Mauritius — 171st of 197: 0.0017
• Macao SAR, China — 173rd of 197: 0.0013
• French Polynesia — 174th of 197: 0.0008
• St. Lucia — 175th of 197: 0.0008

What this measures

A measure of annual emissions of methane (CH4), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from the building sector (subsector of the energy sector) including IPCC 2006 codes 1.A.4 Residential and other sectors, 1.A.5 Non-Specified. 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

Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e) in nearby economies

• Albania — 0.05 (2024)
• Armenia — 0.07 (2024)
• Austria — 0.64 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 0.03 (2024)
• Belarus — 0.23 (2024)
• Belgium — 0.28 (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 0.44 (2024)
• Bulgaria — 0.25 (2024)
• Croatia — 0.35 (2024)
• Cyprus

More environment data for Iceland

• Rural population — 22,689 (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 5.78% (2025)
• Urban population — 369,715 (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 94.22% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 54,789 (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons) — 1.01 million (2024)
• Total fisheries production (metric tons) — 1.06 million (2024)
• Rural population growth (annual %) — 0.89% (2025)
• Urban population growth (annual %) — 1.55% (2025)
• Fertilizer consumption (kilograms per hectare of arable land) — 133.69 (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 Iceland's methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e)?

0.0015 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 66.67% from 0.0009 in 1970 (0.95% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 0.0023 in 1996 and the lowest 0.0009 in 1970.

How does Iceland rank?

172nd highest of 197 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e) unusual for Iceland?

In 2024, Iceland's methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e) rose 7.1% on 2023 (from 0.0014 to 0.0015). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.9% and a typical year strayed about 9.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.GHG.CH4.BU.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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