Spain’s greenhouse-gas emissions rose 1.5% in 2025, INE advance accounts show

Spain’s resident economic units emitted 283.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2025, 1.5% more than in 2024, according to advance environmental accounts published by the National Statistics Institute (INE) on 22 October. The accounts convert gases to carbon-dioxide equivalent using their global-warming potentials. They cover emissions by resident economic units both inside and outside Spain’s economic territory, so the measure is not identical to a territorial inventory.

The longer series remains substantially below its starting point: the INE says greenhouse-gas emissions were 32.0% lower in 2025 than in 2008, the first year in the accounts series. That comparison coexists with the latest annual increase. The preliminary 2025 total is an estimate and can be revised; it should not be treated as a final inventory figure or as evidence that emissions rose in every sector.

Carbon dioxide made up most of the total. The detailed table reports 224.8 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent from CO2, 79.3% of greenhouse-gas emissions and 1.7% higher year over year. Methane contributed 41.9 million tonnes, or 14.8%, up 0.4%. Nitrous oxide added 12.2 million tonnes, 4.3% of the total and 1.5% more than in 2024. Other greenhouse gases accounted for 4.7 million tonnes and fell 0.3%.

Households were the largest single source by institutional sector, accounting for 23.1% of the total, followed by manufacturing at 22.1% and agriculture, forestry, fishing and livestock at 15.3%. Manufacturing was the only branch whose greenhouse-gas emissions declined, down 2.1%. Emissions from electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply rose 9.2%, the largest increase among the listed branches; household emissions increased 1.1%.

The sector and gas breakdowns show why the aggregate cannot be read as a uniform movement. Households emitted 63.4 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent as carbon dioxide, manufacturing 59.2 million and transport and storage services 39.5 million. Agriculture, forestry, fishing and livestock accounted for the largest shares of methane and nitrous oxide, at 61.3% and 55.2%, respectively. These are attributed emissions in the accounts framework, not direct measurements at each source.

The INE says the atmospheric-emissions account integrates environmental data into the national-accounts system and is compiled using a range of statistical operations and national emissions inventories. The inventories follow IPCC and EMEP/EEA methods and sector classifications. Because inputs become available on different schedules and methods can be updated, complete time series may be revised. The published 2025 figures are provisional and will be reviewed when the next annual results are released.