Countries by Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Waste (Mt CO2e)
China ranks first in nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from waste at 31.69 Mt CO2e, more than 1.6 times the value of second-ranked India at 18.93 Mt CO2e. At the other end of the ranking, Tuvalu records just 0.0001 Mt CO2e, placing 203rd. The gap between the top and bottom reflects the combined effect of population scale, urbanization levels, and the volume of solid waste and wastewater generated.
Ranking 2024
Analysis
This metric measures annual nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases, from the waste sector. Per the source definition, it covers emissions from solid waste (IPCC 2006 codes 4.A Solid Waste Disposal, 4.B Biological Treatment of Solid Waste, 4.C Incineration and Open Burning of Waste) and wastewater treatment (IPCC 2006 code 4.D Wastewater Treatment and Discharge). Values are expressed in megatonnes of CO2 equivalent (Mt CO2e) using AR5 global warming potentials. The dataset covers 203 countries, with 100% of data points classified as official-quality and all 203 countries reporting data from within the last seven years. The indicator code is EN.GHG.N2O.WA.MT.CE.AR5, sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators with a reference year of 2024.
The top of the ranking is dominated by the world's most populous nations and large industrialized economies. China (rank 1) leads at 31.69 Mt CO2e, followed by India (rank 2) at 18.93 Mt CO2e and the United States (rank 3) at 9.94 Mt CO2e. Brazil (rank 4, 3.82 Mt CO2e) and Indonesia (rank 5, 3.79 Mt CO2e) follow closely. The Russian Federation (rank 6, 3.08 Mt CO2e), Pakistan (rank 7, 2.62 Mt CO2e), Japan (rank 8, 2.47 Mt CO2e), Mexico (rank 9, 2.41 Mt CO2e), and Germany (rank 10, 2.25 Mt CO2e) round out the top ten. High absolute values across this group correspond to large populations and, consequently, large volumes of solid waste disposed and wastewater treated.
The middle of the ranking reveals some counterintuitive placements. Nigeria (rank 11, 2.20 Mt CO2e) and Bangladesh (rank 13, 2.03 Mt CO2e) rank above several high-income European nations, including France (rank 15, 1.85 Mt CO2e) and Spain (rank 20, 1.54 Mt CO2e). Norway and New Zealand share rank 97 with identical values of 0.1381 Mt CO2e. Haiti (rank 116) and Kuwait (rank 116) also share an identical value of 0.0875 Mt CO2e despite very different economic profiles. At the lower end, small island states and territories cluster near zero: Tuvalu (rank 203) records just 0.0001 Mt CO2e, and Nauru (rank 202) records 0.0002 Mt CO2e.
Several limitations apply to this metric. Absolute emission values reflect total national output rather than per-capita rates, which means larger countries will structurally rank higher regardless of waste management efficiency. The viability check identified 30 extreme outliers at the 3-standard-deviation threshold, with the range spanning from 0.00 to 31.69 Mt CO2e — a spread of over 31,690,600%. N2O emissions from waste are partially estimated using modeled activity data rather than direct measurement in many countries, and reporting capacity varies across national statistical systems. The metric does not capture emissions intensity, waste management practices, or changes in treatment infrastructure over time. Rankings should be interpreted as indicators of absolute emission volumes, not of environmental performance or policy outcomes.
Methodology
The metric is drawn from the World Bank World Development Indicators, indicator code EN.GHG.N2O.WA.MT.CE.AR5, with a data reference year of 2024. It measures annual nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from the waste sector, standardized in megatonnes of CO2 equivalent using AR5 global warming potentials. Per the source definition, the metric covers emissions from solid waste (IPCC 2006 codes 4.A Solid Waste Disposal, 4.B Biological Treatment of Solid Waste, 4.C Incineration and Open Burning of Waste) and wastewater treatment (IPCC 2006 code 4.D Wastewater Treatment and Discharge). The ranking covers 203 countries, meeting the 80-country coverage threshold. All 203 countries (100%) have data from within the last seven years, and 100% of data points are classified as official quality, exceeding the 70% threshold. The viability assessment identified 30 extreme outliers using a 3-standard-deviation threshold. The value range extends from 0.0001 to 31.69 Mt CO2e, a spread of over 31,690,600%. Average year-over-year volatility is 2.4%, well within the 50% threshold, indicating stable time-series data. Rankings represent absolute emission volumes and should not be used as a measure of per-capita output or waste management performance.