Latvia: Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) (Mt CO2e)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Latvia's methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) (Mt CO2e) fell 6.4% on 2023 (from 0.0047 to 0.0044).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −4.9% and a typical year strayed about 6.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 23.2% in 1990 and the biggest yearly fall was 19.2% in 2009. 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 0.000486 a year. A straight line explains 99% 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, Latvia had the 145th 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 Latvia in the 2024 ranking

• Kyrgyz Republic — 142nd of 194: 0.0052
• Sierra Leone — 143rd of 194: 0.005
• North Macedonia — 144th of 194: 0.0049
• Albania — 146th of 194: 0.0041
• Suriname — 147th of 194: 0.0041
• Cyprus — 148th of 194: 0.0038

What this measures

A measure of annual emissions of methane (CH4), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from the transportation sector (subsector of the energy sector) including IPCC 2006 codes 1.A.3.a Civil Aviation, 1.A.3.b_noRES Road Transportation no resuspension, 1.A.3.c Railways, 1.A.3.d Water-borne Navigation, 1.A.3.e Other Transportation. 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 Transport (Energy) (Mt CO2e) in nearby economies

• Albania — 0.0041 (2024)
• Armenia — 0.02 (2024)
• Austria — 0.02 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 0.04 (2024)
• Belarus — 0.04 (2024)
• Belgium — 0.04 (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 0.01 (2024)
• Bulgaria — 0.05 (2024)
• Croatia — 0.01 (2024)
• Cyprus

More environment data for Latvia

• Population in largest city — 615,764 (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 48.55% (2025)
• Rural population — 579,603 (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 31.37% (2025)
• Urban population — 1.27 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 68.63% (2025)
• Rural population growth (annual %) — -1.46% (2025)
• Urban population growth (annual %) — -0.77% (2025)
• Agricultural land (sq. km) — 19,710 (2024)
• Surface area (sq. km) — 64,590 (2024)
• Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e)

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 Latvia's methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) (Mt CO2e)?

0.0044 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is down 56.44% from 0.01 in 1970 (1.53% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 0.03 in 1990 and the lowest 0.0044 in 2024.

How does Latvia rank?

145th highest of 194 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Latvia's methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) (Mt CO2e) fell 6.4% on 2023 (from 0.0047 to 0.0044). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −4.9% and a typical year strayed about 6.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below 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.TR.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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