Iceland: Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) (Mt CO2e)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Iceland's methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) (Mt CO2e) did not change 0% on 2023 (from 0.0001 to 0.0001).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −1.9% and a typical year strayed about 23.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 1971 and the biggest yearly fall was 87.5% in 2016. 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 0.0000891 a year. A straight line explains 33% 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, Iceland had the 163rd 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 Iceland in the 2024 ranking

• French Polynesia — 169th of 193: 0.0001
• Gambia, The — 170th of 193: 0.0001
• Greenland — 171st of 193: 0.0001
• Malta — 173rd of 193: 0.0001
• Palau — 174th of 193: 0.0001
• Puerto Rico (US) — 175th of 193: 0.0001

What this measures

A measure of annual emissions of methane (CH4), 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

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

• Albania — 0.0022 (2024)
• Armenia — 0.0004 (2024)
• Austria — 0.07 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 0.0019 (2024)
• Belarus — 0.0084 (2024)
• Belgium — 0.04 (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 0.0016 (2024)
• Bulgaria — 0.01 (2024)
• Croatia

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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Questions people ask

What is Iceland's methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) (Mt CO2e)?

0.0001 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is down 50% from 0.0002 in 1970 (1.28% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 0.0018 in 2004 and the lowest 0.0001 in 2018.

How does Iceland rank?

163rd highest of 193 economies with data for 2024.

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

Source

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