This dataset provides modeled estimates of annual nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions at a coarse geographic scale (0.5 x 0.5 degree) for two sets of global rivers and streams covering the period of 1900-2016. Emissions (g N2O-N/yr) are provided for higher-order rivers and streams (>=4th order) and headwater streams (<4th order). The estimates were derived from a water transport model, the Model for Scale Adaptive River Transport (MOSART), coupled with the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM) to link hydrology and ecosystem processes pertaining to N2O flux and transport. Factors driving the model included climate, land use and land cover, and nitrogen inputs (i.e., fertilizer, deposition, manure, and sewage). Nitrogen discharges from streams and rivers to the ocean were calibrated from observations from 50 river basins across the globe.