This dataset compiles measurements of soil respiration and its main environmental drivers across dryland ecosystems worldwide. It integrates site-level information on climatic, edaphic, and vegetation characteristics, as well as methodological details on soil respiration, temperature, and moisture monitoring. Variables include geographic coordinates, altitude, mean annual precipitation (MAP), mean annual temperature (MAT), aridity index, biome classification (following WWF ecoregions), vegetation type, dominant species, soil type, soil texture, soil pH, and soil organic carbon (SOC) stock. Soil respiration (SR) data are reported as mean, maximum, and minimum values (µmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹), alongside corresponding soil temperature (Ts) and soil water content (SWC) statistics. Methodological metadata specify the measurement techniques used for SR, Ts, and SWC, the depth of measurements, start and end dates, and measurement frequency. The dataset also provides the number of observations per site and functional relationships describing SR responses to Ts and SWC, including thresholds where soil respiration becomes temperature- or moisture-limited. The dataset enables cross-site comparisons and large-scale syntheses of soil carbon dynamics in dryland ecosystems. It is particularly relevant for advancing understanding of soil–climate interactions, assessing the sensitivity of soil respiration to warming and aridity, and improving terrestrial ecosystem models.