Middle East & North Africa · Upper middle income · 2023

Iraq: mid-book EDGAR inventory · 1.31 t per $1K GDP

In 2023, Iraq emitted 354 MtCO₂e (8.04 t per person, 1.31 t per $1K GDP) - fugitive emissions led at 48% and carbon dioxide dominated the gas mix at 55%. EU EDGAR v8.0, excludes land use.

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Corpus placement

Iraq ranks #26 of 51 by absolute total in 2023 but notably higher by GDP intensity (#7 / 51) — a smaller economy whose output is comparatively carbon-intensive.

#26 / 51
Absolute Mt rank
#24 / 51
Per-capita rank
#7 / 51
GDP intensity rank

According to EU EDGAR v8.0 totals, World Bank population, and GDP denominators at 2023. Excludes LULUCF.

F
Emissions Performance Score
28/100
Iraq · 2023 EDGAR data

Based on per-capita emissions, GDP intensity, methane share, and the multi-year emissions trend, benchmarked against the 51-country EDGAR corpus, not a judgment of policy effort, development stage, or overall climate risk. See the benchmark table and methodology.

Per-capita emissions D
8.04 t/person
EDGAR latest-year total ÷ population, vs. the 51-country corpus spread
GDP intensity F
1.31 t/$1K GDP
EDGAR latest-year total ÷ GDP, vs. the 51-country corpus spread
Methane share F
42%
Share of the gas mix that is CH4 (AR6 GWP100 ≈ 27.9× CO2, short-lived but potent)
Emissions trend F
+258%
Change from the first to the latest EDGAR-tracked year for this country

EDGAR inventory roll

Roll IRQ · 2023 354 Mt · 8.04 t per person

Iraq sits mid-pack by absolute Mt among 51 tracked EDGAR economies (354 Mt in 2023) - absolute, per-capita, and GDP-intensity ranks on one roll.

  • ABS 354 Mt
  • PC 8.04 t
  • INT 1.31
  • RANK-A #26 / 51
  • RANK-P #24 / 51
  • RANK-I #7 / 51
  • SECTOR 48% Fugitive
  • GAS 55% Carbon
  • PHOTO Poland
  • BOOK 51 econ

Photo-finish absolute-Mt peer: Poland (364 Mt · Δ 11 Mt vs Iraq)

Absolute-Mt neighbourhood

2023 EDGAR totals · nearest inventories to Iraq

1. Italy3772. Argentina3693. Poland3644. Iraq3545. Egypt338

Year-to-year inventory change

What changed between 2022 and 2023

2022 → 2023
  • Iraq's methane total fell from 154.6 MtCO₂e in 2022 to 149.7 MtCO₂e in 2023 in the EU EDGAR v8.0 (2024) extract, a change of −4.93 MtCO₂e (−3.2%).
  • Iraq's fugitive emissions total fell from 176.3 MtCO₂e in 2022 to 170.4 MtCO₂e in 2023 in the EU EDGAR v8.0 (2024) extract, a change of −5.95 MtCO₂e (−3.4%).
  • Iraq's EDGAR greenhouse-gas total fell from 355.6 MtCO₂e in 2022 to 353.6 MtCO₂e in 2023 in the EU EDGAR v8.0 (2024) extract, a change of −2.05 MtCO₂e (−0.6%).

Arithmetic differences between two inventory years in one stored EU EDGAR v8.0 (2024) extract, not a second source release, a forecast, or a policy verdict.

Trends Inventory CSV

Iraq ranks #26 of 51 by absolute total in 2023 but notably higher by GDP intensity (#7 / 51) — a smaller economy whose output is comparatively carbon-intensive. How we place countries.

Iraq vs all tracked economies by EDGAR greenhouse-gas total

Where Iraq's 2023 EDGAR MtCO₂e sits among every tracked economy with live rows (inventory mass, not per-capita responsibility)

354 49th percentile more MtCO₂e than 49% of 51 economies

Tracked economies, banded by EDGAR MtCO₂e (AR6 GWP100)

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more economies. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source EU EDGAR v8.0 · 2023

Iraq 2023 emissions by IPCC sector

EU EDGAR v8.0 · MtCO₂e · AR6 GWP100

1. Fugitive emissions1702. Energy743. Transport414. Industry385. Waste126. Buildings127. Agriculture7
0%100%48%
Fugitive emissions share of 2023 total

Source: EU EDGAR v8.0 (Joint Research Centre) EDGAR GHG · 2023

Iraq emissions trend (1970–2023, MtCO₂e)

Annual greenhouse-gas totals, EU EDGAR v8.0

0100200300400 197019771984199119982005201220192023 354
Reported annual emissions for Iraq, 1970 to 2023 (AR6 GWP100, excludes LULUCF).

Data from EU EDGAR v8.0 (2024 release)

Source: EU EDGAR (Joint Research Centre) As of 1970–2023

Iraq 2023 gas inventory, methane-weighted

EU EDGAR v8.0 · MtCO₂e · AR6 GWP100

1. Carbon dioxide192.92. Methane149.73. Nitrous oxide64. Fluorinated gases5

Methane-heavy profile

GDP-intensity signature

GDP intensity is the standout for Iraq: 1.31 t per $1K GDP (upper tercile, ≥0.764) alongside 354 Mt absolute.

Iraq's 2023 total of 354 MtCO₂e carries an unusually high methane share (42% of CO₂e). That pattern usually marks agriculture- and fuel-system methane alongside CO₂ from energy, not a CO₂-only industrial ledger. Within Middle East & North Africa, it ranks #4 of 7 economies on a per-person basis.

Source: EU EDGAR v8.0 (Joint Research Centre) Country totals (AR6 GWP100, excl. LULUCF) Country figures for IRQ exclude LULUCF; verify policy-critical totals against the Joint Research Centre EDGAR country table.

Other Middle East & North Africa economies in EDGAR

Methodology

Iraq (IRQ) is in the middle third of live EDGAR country mass (354 MtCO₂e in 2023). Rows are aggregated from EU EDGAR v8.0 by IPCC sector and gas for 2023, excluding LULUCF. See the methodology page for GWP100 factors and the full pipeline. Full methodology.

Source: EU EDGAR v8.0 (Joint Research Centre) 2024 Global bottom-up inventory, CC BY 4.0.

FAQ

Why is methane prominent in Iraq's inventory?

Methane contributes about 42% of Iraq's 2023 CO₂e total, above the rough one-sixth global average, which usually signals agriculture, waste, or fugitive fuel emissions in the EDGAR breakdown.

How much CO₂-equivalent did Iraq emit in 2023?

Iraq's 2023 total is 354 MtCO₂e per EU EDGAR v8.0 (AR6 GWP100, excludes LULUCF).

How do Iraq's absolute and per-capita ranks compare?

Iraq ranks #26 of 51 by absolute total and #24 by per-capita emissions in 2023, with GDP intensity at #7.

Compiled from official public sources by the publisher.

Data vintage: EU EDGAR v8.0 (2024 release), 2023 data year. Country emissions summed from EDGAR records for the focal year; LULUCF excluded on ranked surfaces.