Maldives: Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (% change from 1990)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Maldives' nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (% change from 1990) rose 23.08 percentage points on 2023 (from 506.15% to 529.23%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +16.36 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 66.63 percentage points 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 163.08 percentage points in 2014 and the biggest yearly fall was 193.85 percentage points in 2015. 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 6% 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, Maldives had the 6th 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 Maldives in the 2024 ranking

• Brunei Darussalam — 2nd of 203: 933.58%
• Chad — 3rd of 203: 726.54%
• Qatar — 4th of 203: 532.25%
• Northern Mariana Islands — 6th of 203: 500%
• Malawi — 7th of 203: 357.49%
• Marshall Islands — 8th of 203: 333.33%

What this measures

Change of emissions (as %) of current year with respect to emissions in baseline year 1990 emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from the agriculture, energy, waste, and industrial sectors, excluding LULUCF.. The measure is standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) factors of IPCC's 5th Assessment Report (AR5). 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

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (% change from 1990) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 97.43% (2024)
• Bhutan — 23.16% (2024)
• India — 122.56% (2024)
• Nepal — 51% (2024)
• Sri Lanka — 32.66% (2024)

More environment data for Maldives

• Rural population — 304,531 (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 57.49% (2025)
• Urban population — 225,145 (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 42.51% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 9 (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons) — 107,414 (2024)
• Total fisheries production (metric tons) — 107,423 (2024)
• Rural population growth (annual %) — -0.52% (2025)
• Urban population growth (annual %) — 1.56% (2025)
• Agricultural land (sq. km) — 59 (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Maldives's nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (% change from 1990)?

529.23% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1991?

It is up 532.31 percentage points from -3.08% in 1991. The highest value was 673.85% in 2014 and the lowest -3.08% in 1991.

How does Maldives rank?

6th highest of 203 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (% change from 1990) unusual for Maldives?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.GHG.N2O.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; EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Resear… 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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.