Iran vs Pakistan: Emissions of air pollutants
Iran
1.74 million tonnes
in 2022
Pakistan
1.68 million tonnes
in 2022
Iran rank
12th
Pakistan rank
13th
Emissions of air pollutants over time
- Iran
- Pakistan
How they compare
Iran currently reports 1.74 million tonnes against 1.68 million tonnes in Pakistan, a difference of 59,030 tonnes.
The two have swapped places 18 times across 273 shared years of data; in 1750 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 12th and Pakistan ranks 13th of 220 countries.
Across the 28 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 20 and Pakistan in 8.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Pakistan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 1,799 tonnes | 1,523 tonnes | 275.47 tonnes | Iran |
| 1760s | 1,836 tonnes | 1,550 tonnes | 286.09 tonnes | Iran |
| 1770s | 1,874 tonnes | 1,577 tonnes | 297.09 tonnes | Iran |
| 1780s | 1,913 tonnes | 1,604 tonnes | 308.5 tonnes | Iran |
| 1790s | 1,952 tonnes | 1,632 tonnes | 320.34 tonnes | Iran |
| 1800s | 2,012 tonnes | 1,678 tonnes | 333.79 tonnes | Iran |
| 1810s | 2,096 tonnes | 1,800 tonnes | 295.8 tonnes | Iran |
| 1820s | 2,217 tonnes | 1,998 tonnes | 218.8 tonnes | Iran |
| 1830s | 2,384 tonnes | 2,217 tonnes | 167.55 tonnes | Iran |
| 1840s | 2,556 tonnes | 2,458 tonnes | 98.33 tonnes | Iran |
| 1850s | 2,723 tonnes | 2,734 tonnes | 10.25 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1860s | 2,901 tonnes | 3,035 tonnes | 134.61 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1870s | 3,254 tonnes | 3,377 tonnes | 123.29 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1880s | 3,788 tonnes | 3,689 tonnes | 98.95 tonnes | Iran |
| 1890s | 4,313 tonnes | 4,079 tonnes | 233.39 tonnes | Iran |
| 1900s | 4,826 tonnes | 5,854 tonnes | 1,027 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1910s | 8,733 tonnes | 9,745 tonnes | 1,012 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1920s | 16,688 tonnes | 14,889 tonnes | 1,799 tonnes | Iran |
| 1930s | 23,499 tonnes | 22,228 tonnes | 1,272 tonnes | Iran |
| 1940s | 32,268 tonnes | 34,204 tonnes | 1,936 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1950s | 63,236 tonnes | 87,120 tonnes | 23,884 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1960s | 173,896 tonnes | 180,552 tonnes | 6,657 tonnes | Pakistan |
| 1970s | 394,899 tonnes | 302,666 tonnes | 92,234 tonnes | Iran |
| 1980s | 658,872 tonnes | 478,260 tonnes | 180,612 tonnes | Iran |
| 1990s | 1.10 million tonnes | 737,444 tonnes | 363,393 tonnes | Iran |
| 2000s | 1.44 million tonnes | 1.15 million tonnes | 292,093 tonnes | Iran |
| 2010s | 1.78 million tonnes | 1.44 million tonnes | 341,292 tonnes | Iran |
| 2020s | 1.68 million tonnes | 1.67 million tonnes | 7,013 tonnes | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher emissions of air pollutants, Iran or Pakistan?
- Iran, at 1.74 million tonnes against 1.68 million tonnes in Pakistan as of 2022.
- What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between Iran and Pakistan?
- 59,030 tonnes, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Pakistan?
- 273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.
- How do Iran and Pakistan rank globally for emissions of air pollutants?
- Iran ranks 12th and Pakistan ranks 13th of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) are gases that are mainly formed during the burning of fossil fuels. Exposure to NOₓ gases can have negative impacts on respiratory health. NOₓ gases can also lead to the formation of ozone – another air pollutant.