Mexico vs Spain: Emissions of air pollutants
Mexico
1.23 million tonnes
in 2022
Spain
1.15 million tonnes
in 2022
Mexico rank
17th
Spain rank
20th
Emissions of air pollutants over time
- Mexico
- Spain
How they compare
Mexico currently reports 1.23 million tonnes against 1.15 million tonnes in Spain, a difference of 72,700 tonnes.
That makes Mexico's figure about 1.1 times Spain's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 273 shared years of data; in 1750 it was Spain ahead.
Mexico ranks 17th and Spain ranks 20th of 220 countries.
Across the 28 decades both report, Mexico averaged higher in 10 and Spain in 18.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Mexico | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 1,948 tonnes | 2,093 tonnes | 144.6 tonnes | Spain |
| 1760s | 2,009 tonnes | 2,142 tonnes | 133.23 tonnes | Spain |
| 1770s | 2,071 tonnes | 2,192 tonnes | 121.35 tonnes | Spain |
| 1780s | 2,134 tonnes | 2,243 tonnes | 108.99 tonnes | Spain |
| 1790s | 2,199 tonnes | 2,295 tonnes | 96.15 tonnes | Spain |
| 1800s | 2,283 tonnes | 2,363 tonnes | 79.88 tonnes | Spain |
| 1810s | 2,392 tonnes | 2,451 tonnes | 59.1 tonnes | Spain |
| 1820s | 2,525 tonnes | 2,589 tonnes | 63.97 tonnes | Spain |
| 1830s | 2,691 tonnes | 2,739 tonnes | 47.56 tonnes | Spain |
| 1840s | 2,871 tonnes | 3,289 tonnes | 417.34 tonnes | Spain |
| 1850s | 3,139 tonnes | 4,719 tonnes | 1,580 tonnes | Spain |
| 1860s | 3,487 tonnes | 7,938 tonnes | 4,451 tonnes | Spain |
| 1870s | 4,075 tonnes | 10,349 tonnes | 6,274 tonnes | Spain |
| 1880s | 5,101 tonnes | 15,905 tonnes | 10,804 tonnes | Spain |
| 1890s | 8,063 tonnes | 21,256 tonnes | 13,193 tonnes | Spain |
| 1900s | 17,020 tonnes | 30,804 tonnes | 13,784 tonnes | Spain |
| 1910s | 75,997 tonnes | 40,833 tonnes | 35,164 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1920s | 130,693 tonnes | 55,906 tonnes | 74,787 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1930s | 178,381 tonnes | 63,729 tonnes | 114,653 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1940s | 212,333 tonnes | 98,381 tonnes | 113,952 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1950s | 289,336 tonnes | 251,011 tonnes | 38,325 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1960s | 444,849 tonnes | 610,219 tonnes | 165,370 tonnes | Spain |
| 1970s | 888,594 tonnes | 1.10 million tonnes | 209,259 tonnes | Spain |
| 1980s | 1.56 million tonnes | 1.45 million tonnes | 104,699 tonnes | Mexico |
| 1990s | 1.88 million tonnes | 1.79 million tonnes | 87,592 tonnes | Mexico |
| 2000s | 2.12 million tonnes | 2.01 million tonnes | 110,412 tonnes | Mexico |
| 2010s | 1.92 million tonnes | 1.43 million tonnes | 496,240 tonnes | Mexico |
| 2020s | 1.21 million tonnes | 1.11 million tonnes | 96,903 tonnes | Mexico |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher emissions of air pollutants, Mexico or Spain?
- Mexico, at 1.23 million tonnes against 1.15 million tonnes in Spain as of 2022.
- What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between Mexico and Spain?
- 72,700 tonnes, with Mexico ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Mexico and Spain?
- 273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.
- How do Mexico and Spain rank globally for emissions of air pollutants?
- Mexico ranks 17th and Spain ranks 20th 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.