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Environment · Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · Upper-middle income

Iraq: environment and emissions

CO₂ per person is 5.18 t (2024), 50th of 203 in the world and 10th of 22 in the Middle East & North Africa. GHG per person is 8.98 t (2024), 38th of 203 in the world and 9th of 22 in the Middle East & North Africa. GHG emissions is 413.3 Mt (2024), 20th of 203 in the world and 4th of 22 in the Middle East & North Africa.

CO₂ per person5.18 t2024 · world 50/203 · region 10/22GHG per person8.98 t2024 · world 38/203 · region 9/22GHG emissions413.3 Mt2024 · world 20/203 · region 4/22CO₂ emissions238.7 Mt2024 · world 26/203 · region 4/22
CO₂ per person
IraqMiddle East, North Africa, A…Upper-middle incomeWorld
0.02.04.06.08.0199520002005201020152020Iraq5.18 tMiddle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanUpper-middle incomeWorld
GHG per person
IraqMiddle East, North Africa, A…Upper-middle incomeWorld
0.02.55.07.510199520002005201020152020Iraq8.98 tMiddle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanUpper-middle incomeWorld
15 indicators

Environment: Iraq in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
CO₂ per personCO₂ emissions per capita, tonnes5.18 t202450/20310/223.64 t3.59 t4.37 t+37%since 20144.09 t6.38 t4.69 t
GHG per personGreenhouse gas emissions per person, t CO₂e8.98 t202438/2039/226.87 t6.78 t8.21 t+24%since 20145.90 t8.33 t6.36 t
GHG emissionsTotal greenhouse gas emissions excl. land use, Mt CO₂e413.3 Mt202420/2034/22167.9 Mt210.5 Mt345.6 Mt+56%since 20144,768.6 Mt25,498.1 Mt53,206.4 Mt
CO₂ emissionsCO₂ emissions, total excl. land use, Mt238.7 Mt202426/2034/2288.8 Mt111.5 Mt183.9 Mt+73%since 20143,306.2 Mt19,521.7 Mt39,632.7 Mt
MethaneMethane emissions, Mt CO₂e163.2 Mt202410/2033/2273.8 Mt92.2 Mt152.4 Mt+37%since 20141,093.8 Mt4,229.1 Mt9,536.5 Mt
Renewable energyRenewable energy, % of final energy consumption1.1%2021188/21214/230.4%1.7%1.1%±0.0 ppsince 20117.5%16.8%19.7%
Renewable powerRenewable electricity, % of output3.8%2021175/20614/231.9%9.7%3.9%−3.9 ppsince 20116.3%29.3%27.8%
PM2.5 exposurePM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure, µg/m³49.5 µg/m³202313/2007/2348.2 µg/m³57.1 µg/m³47.6 µg/m³−3.4%since 201345.4 µg/m³26.7 µg/m³32.9 µg/m³
Forest coverForest area, % of land area1.6%2024191/21412/231.9%1.9%1.7%−0.2 ppsince 20142.2%29.2%31.1%
FarmlandAgricultural land, % of land area21.6%2024146/21014/2319.4%18.9%21.6%+0.3 ppsince 201435.4%42.8%36.9%
Arable landArable land, % of land area11.3%202493/2068/239.8%9.2%11.3%±0.0 ppsince 20147.2%9.8%10.7%
Protected areasTerrestrial and marine protected areas, % of territory1.5%2025173/21318/23··1.5%+0.6 ppsince 20157.8%12.8%17.0%
Water withdrawalsFreshwater withdrawals, % of internal resources120.5%202217/17712/22187.5%134.7%128.0%−3.6 ppsince 2012148.3%8.9%9.0%
Freshwater per personRenewable internal freshwater per person, m³799 m³2022139/1834/231,441 m³1,134 m³836 m³−24%since 2012431 m³6,090 m³5,393 m³
Cereal yieldCereal yield, kg per hectare2,651 kg/ha202499/17910/21363 kg/ha1,697 kg/ha2,639 kg/ha+25%since 20143,027 kg/ha4,942 kg/ha4,229 kg/ha
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Iraq and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Iraq. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorIraqIranTürkiyeSaudi ArabiaSyriaJordan
CO₂ per person5.18 t20249.05 t20245.38 t202418.48 t20241.27 t20242.09 t2024
GHG per person8.98 t202411.52 t20246.78 t202423.76 t20241.91 t20243.02 t2024
GHG emissions413.3 Mt20241,054.8 Mt2024579.5 Mt2024838.9 Mt202447.2 Mt202434.9 Mt2024
CO₂ emissions238.7 Mt2024829.0 Mt2024460.0 Mt2024652.5 Mt202431.4 Mt202424.1 Mt2024
Methane163.2 Mt2024175.7 Mt202478.6 Mt2024113.1 Mt20246.4 Mt20246.2 Mt2024
Renewable energy1.1%20210.9%202112.0%20210.1%20211.1%202111.5%2021
Renewable power3.8%20214.2%202135.4%20210.1%20213.4%202124.9%2021
PM2.5 exposure49.5 µg/m³202340.2 µg/m³202326.4 µg/m³202373.5 µg/m³202332.1 µg/m³202332.6 µg/m³2023
Forest cover1.6%20246.6%202429.5%20241.3%20242.9%20240.8%2024
Iran: environmentTürkiye: environmentSaudi Arabia: environmentSyria: environmentJordan: environment
Environment in Middle East & North Africaall 23 economies rankedEnvironment: upper-middle-income countries59 economies rankedEnvironment: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesIraq: all key statisticscountry profile