Lao PDR: Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Lao PDR's methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) did not change 0 on 2023 (from 0.005 to 0.005).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.000157 and a typical year strayed about 0.000458 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below 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 0.002 in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.0005 in 2000. 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 0.000308 a year. A straight line explains 62% 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, Lao PDR had the 99th highest value of the 194 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 Lao PDR in the 2024 ranking

• Uganda — 97th of 194: 0.0052
• Mongolia — 98th of 194: 0.0051
• Brunei Darussalam — 99th of 194: 0.005
• Angola — 101st of 194: 0.0048
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 102nd of 194: 0.0048
• Panama — 103rd of 194: 0.0048

What this measures

A measure of annual emissions of methane (CH4), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from electricity and heat generation (subsector of the energy sector) including IPCC 2006 code 1.A.1.a. 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 Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) in nearby economies

• Australia — 0.1 (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 0.005 (2024)
• Cambodia — 0.0013 (2024)
• China — 4.14 (2024)
• Fiji — 0.0004 (2024)
• French Polynesia — 0.0002 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 0.03 (2024)
• Indonesia — 0.46 (2024)
• Japan — 0.65 (2024)

More environment data for Lao PDR

• Population in largest city — 755,941 (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 23.82% (2025)
• Rural population — 4.7 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 59.69% (2025)
• Urban population — 3.17 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 40.31% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 153,504 (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons) — 78,795 (2024)
• Total fisheries production (metric tons) — 232,299 (2024)
• Rural population growth (annual %) — 0.06% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Lao PDR's methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e)?

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

How does Lao PDR rank?

99th highest of 194 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) unusual for Lao PDR?

In 2024, Lao PDR's methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) did not change 0 on 2023 (from 0.005 to 0.005). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.000157 and a typical year strayed about 0.000458 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

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