Annual CO₂ Emissions

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from fossil fuels and industry. Land-use change is not included. This data is based on territorial emissions, meaning the emissions produced within a country's borders, but not those from imported goods.                                               

Scale: Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) measured in tonnes.

Direction of Change

EMISSIONS ROSE SHARPLY TO A 2012 PEAK, THEN STABILISED AT A HIGH PLATEAU

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s CO₂ emissions increased steeply from the mid-1990s, rising from relatively modest post-war levels to sustained year-on-year growth through the early 2000s. The most rapid expansion occurred between 1998 and 2003, as energy use, industrial recovery, and increased electricity production drove emissions upwards. After a brief period of slower growth, another strong upward shift occurred from 2008 to 2012, culminating in the highest emissions recorded in the entire series. Following this peak, emissions declined modestly but remained elevated, fluctuating within a narrow band through the mid-2010s and early 2020s rather than reversing decisively. By 2023, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s emissions were slightly below the 2011 maximum but still substantially higher than levels observed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, indicating structural persistence in carbon-intensive energy and industrial systems.

Global Rank

Compared with all geographic entities listed in the Index

Note: Population-weighted averages for Europe and the world.

Regional Rank

Compared with six former Yugoslav countries and Albania

Note: In 1995, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo were part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

1995 (highest → lowest):Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro

2023 (highest → lowest): Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro

Conclusion

Taken together, the long-term pattern shows that Bosnia and Herzegovina has shifted from low post-war emissions to a high-emitting plateau, with no sustained downward transition despite the peak having passed more than a decade ago.

Source: Global Carbon Budget (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.