Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Malawi
Malawi: Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions was 28,911 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
28,911 tonnes
Change on year
down 43.5%
World rank
112th
of 215 countries
All-time high
497,016 tonnes
in 2018
All-time low
-185,555 tonnes
in 2021
Years of data
74
1951–2024
Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Malawi, 1951–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 28,911 tonnes for year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 43.5% on the previous year and up 127.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Malawi peaked at 497,016 tonnes in 2018 and was at its lowest, -185,555 tonnes, in 2021.
Malawi ranks 112th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 24,084 tonnes | — |
| 1952 | 32,291 tonnes | +34.1% |
| 1953 | 26,160 tonnes | -19.0% |
| 1954 | 31,546 tonnes | +20.6% |
| 1955 | 62,509 tonnes | +98.2% |
| 1956 | 37,082 tonnes | -40.7% |
| 1957 | 13,136 tonnes | -64.6% |
| 1958 | -49,247 tonnes | -474.9% |
| 1959 | 47,630 tonnes | -196.7% |
| 1960 | -21,394 tonnes | -144.9% |
| 1961 | -65,029 tonnes | +204.0% |
| 1962 | -12,704 tonnes | -80.5% |
| 1963 | -13,909 tonnes | +9.5% |
| 1964 | -17,064 tonnes | +22.7% |
| 1965 | 18,320 tonnes | -207.4% |
| 1966 | 80,549 tonnes | +339.7% |
| 1967 | -62,288 tonnes | -177.3% |
| 1968 | 21,926 tonnes | -135.2% |
| 1969 | -7,392 tonnes | -133.7% |
| 1970 | 73,313 tonnes | -1091.8% |
| 1971 | 47,603 tonnes | -35.1% |
| 1972 | 43,900 tonnes | -7.8% |
| 1973 | 25,543 tonnes | -41.8% |
| 1974 | -22,025 tonnes | -186.2% |
| 1975 | 29,182 tonnes | -232.5% |
| 1976 | 3,717 tonnes | -87.3% |
| 1977 | 54,870 tonnes | +1376.2% |
| 1978 | 32,875 tonnes | -40.1% |
| 1979 | -33,012 tonnes | -200.4% |
| 1980 | 73,354 tonnes | -322.2% |
| 1981 | -106,225 tonnes | -244.8% |
| 1982 | -10,760 tonnes | -89.9% |
| 1983 | -18,556 tonnes | +72.5% |
| 1984 | -18,352 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 128 tonnes | -100.7% |
| 1986 | -3,856 tonnes | -3112.5% |
| 1987 | -7,360 tonnes | +90.9% |
| 1988 | -3,608 tonnes | -51.0% |
| 1989 | 21,864 tonnes | -706.0% |
| 1990 | 173,555 tonnes | +693.8% |
| 1991 | 50,449 tonnes | -70.9% |
| 1992 | -266 tonnes | -100.5% |
| 1993 | 91,487 tonnes | -34493.6% |
| 1994 | 23,174 tonnes | -74.7% |
| 1995 | 1,340 tonnes | -94.2% |
| 1996 | 16,440 tonnes | +1126.9% |
| 1997 | -1,308 tonnes | -108.0% |
| 1998 | -16,468 tonnes | +1159.0% |
| 1999 | -8,490 tonnes | -48.4% |
| 2000 | -39,282 tonnes | +362.7% |
| 2001 | -76,694 tonnes | +95.2% |
| 2002 | 78,947 tonnes | -202.9% |
| 2003 | 58,600 tonnes | -25.8% |
| 2004 | -13,157 tonnes | -122.5% |
| 2005 | -56,359 tonnes | +328.4% |
| 2006 | 6,009 tonnes | -110.7% |
| 2007 | 67,851 tonnes | +1029.2% |
| 2008 | 79,526 tonnes | +17.2% |
| 2009 | 18,900 tonnes | -76.2% |
| 2010 | -45,443 tonnes | -340.4% |
| 2011 | 61,682 tonnes | -235.7% |
| 2012 | 6,907 tonnes | -88.8% |
| 2013 | 79,478 tonnes | +1050.7% |
| 2014 | -105,118 tonnes | -232.3% |
| 2015 | 34,798 tonnes | -133.1% |
| 2016 | 122,531 tonnes | +252.1% |
| 2017 | 20,593 tonnes | -83.2% |
| 2018 | 497,016 tonnes | +2313.5% |
| 2019 | 5,305 tonnes | -98.9% |
| 2020 | 172,696 tonnes | +3155.3% |
| 2021 | -185,555 tonnes | -207.4% |
| 2022 | 118,893 tonnes | -164.1% |
| 2023 | 51,180 tonnes | -57.0% |
| 2024 | 28,911 tonnes | -43.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 28,911 tonnes is below the median for low income countries, which is 29,261 tonnes, 99% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 28,911 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 46,780 tonnes, 62% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +34493.6% | -266 tonnes | 91,487 tonnes |
| 2020 | +3155.3% | 5,305 tonnes | 172,696 tonnes |
| 1986 | -3112.5% | 128 tonnes | -3,856 tonnes |
| 2018 | +2313.5% | 20,593 tonnes | 497,016 tonnes |
| 1977 | +1376.2% | 3,717 tonnes | 54,870 tonnes |
| 1996 | +1126.9% | 1,340 tonnes | 16,440 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 25,021 tonnes | -49,247 tonnes | 62,509 tonnes | 9 |
| 1960s | -7,898 tonnes | -65,029 tonnes | 80,549 tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 25,597 tonnes | -33,012 tonnes | 73,313 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | -7,337 tonnes | -106,225 tonnes | 73,354 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 32,991 tonnes | -16,468 tonnes | 173,555 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 12,434 tonnes | -76,694 tonnes | 79,526 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 67,775 tonnes | -105,118 tonnes | 497,016 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 37,225 tonnes | -185,555 tonnes | 172,696 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More climate change data for Malawi
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 415.04 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,106 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,605 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,501 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.06 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 89.31 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,185 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,819 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 366.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 10.64 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Malawi?
- Year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Malawi was 28,911 tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest year-on-year change in co₂ emissions recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 497,016 tonnes in 2018.
- What is the lowest year-on-year change in co₂ emissions recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -185,555 tonnes in 2021.
- How does Malawi rank for year-on-year change in co₂ emissions?
- Malawi ranks 112th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is year-on-year change in co₂ emissions rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 127.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual growth in total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in tonnes.