Iran, Islamic Rep.: Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (% change from 1990)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Iran, Islamic Rep.'s total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (% change from 1990) rose 7.45 percentage points on 2023 (from 210.94% to 218.39%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +6.36 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 5.73 percentage points 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 19.37 percentage points in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.47 percentage points in 1998. 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 upward, about 8.57 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 97% 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, Iran, Islamic Rep. had the 39th highest value of the 203 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 Iran, Islamic Rep. in the 2024 ranking

• Malawi — 36th of 203: 223.82%
• India — 37th of 203: 222.92%
• Senegal — 38th of 203: 220.8%
• St. Lucia — 40th of 203: 213.38%
• Cayman Islands — 41st of 203: 212.71%
• Dominican Republic — 42nd of 203: 209.71%

What this measures

Change of emissions (as %) of current year with respect to emissions in baseline year 1990 emissions of the six greenhouse gases (GHG) covered by the Kyoto Protocol (carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphurhexafluoride (SF6)) from the energy, industry, waste, and agriculture sectors, standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values. This measure excludes GHG fluxes caused by Land Use Change Land Use and Forestry (LULUCF), as these fluxes have larger uncertainties. The measure is standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) factors of IPCC's 5th Assessment Report (AR5) to combine different GHGs. Negative values indicate that the emission level for that year is lower than the emissions level in 1990.

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 weighted average using 1990 emission levels as weights.

All 34 values

Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (% change from 1990) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 155.46% (2024)
• Algeria — 91.44% (2024)
• Bahrain — 121.64% (2024)
• Djibouti — 30.62% (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 159.14% (2024)
• Iraq — 140.67% (2024)
• Israel — 82.75% (2024)
• Jordan — 187.57% (2024)
• Kuwait

More environment data for Iran, Islamic Rep.

• Population in largest city — 9.73 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 13.61% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 23.31 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 25.22% (2025)
• Rural population — 20.91 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 22.62% (2025)
• Urban population — 71.51 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 77.38% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons)

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 Iran, Islamic Rep.'s total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (% change from 1990)?

218.39% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1991?

It is up 204.9 percentage points from 13.49% in 1991. The highest value was 218.39% in 2024 and the lowest 13.49% in 1991.

How does Iran, Islamic Rep. rank?

39th highest of 203 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (% change from 1990) unusual for Iran, Islamic Rep.?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.GHG.TOT.ZG.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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