Germany agricultural greenhouse gas emissions
Germany agricultural greenhouse gas emissions stood at 60.84 million t CO₂e in 2025, according to German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA). It is one of the indicators in the Greenhouse gas emissions table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1990 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Greenhouse gas emissions table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total greenhouse gases excluding LULUCF | 648.87 | 649.77 | 669.58 | 749.27 | 762.77 | 730.97 | 798 | 850.14 | 886.28 | 899.03 | |
| Agriculture | 60.84 | 60.85 | 62.74 | 61.92 | 64.24 | 64.97 | 66.11 | 66.25 | 69.33 | 70.11 | |
| Waste management and other | 5.12 | 5.28 | 5.45 | 5.65 | 5.91 | 6.12 | 6.61 | 7.13 | 7.53 | 7.9 |
Understanding germany agricultural greenhouse gas emissions
Enteric fermentation in livestock, animal manure handling, and agricultural soil management account for the biological emissions reported in this sector. Covered sources encompass methane emitted by the digestive tracts of cattle and other ruminants, methane and nitrous oxide from manure storage, and nitrous oxide released when synthetic fertilizers, animal manure, or crop residues are applied to farmland. Fossil fuel combustion in tractors and harvesting machinery is excluded, being categorized under mobile machinery in other sectors. Biological carbon absorption and releases from cropland soils, permanent pastures, and woodlands are likewise omitted, as they belong to the separate LULUCF classification.
Biological inertia in livestock herd sizes and agricultural soil chemistry means that annual figures evolve gradually, rarely exhibiting sudden short-term swings. Weather conditions influence seasonal soil moisture and temperature, altering microbial denitrification rates and fertilizer uptake independently of farming practices. Initial annual calculations rely on livestock census samples and early commercial fertilizer delivery statistics, which are later revised when official farm structure surveys and detailed manure management documentation are compiled. When examining year-on-year figures, changes in livestock populations and fertilizer application practices provide the main operational signals, while methodological adjustments to soil emission factors can shift the entire historical series.
Frequently asked questions
- Are emissions from tractor diesel fuels included in this agricultural series?
- Fuel consumed by tractors and agricultural machinery is accounted for under transport or commercial mobile equipment rather than within the agricultural sector row.
- Which greenhouse gases represent the bulk of agricultural emissions?
- Methane from ruminant digestion and manure management, alongside nitrous oxide from fertilized agricultural soils, represent the primary gases in this category.
- Why are cropland soil carbon changes omitted from this agricultural series?
- Soil carbon gains and losses resulting from land management are reported under the excluded land use, land-use change, and forestry category.