Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Congo
Congo: Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires was 34.50 million tonnes in 2026. ▬ Flat
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Congo, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Congo is 34.50 million tonnes, measured in 2026. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of up 58.6% on the previous year and up 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Congo peaked at 34.50 million tonnes in 2026 and was at its lowest, 18.64 million tonnes, in 2023.
That places Congo 26th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top quarter.
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Congo, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 21.91 million tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 23.21 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 2005 | 26.55 million tonnes | +14.4% |
| 2006 | 24.90 million tonnes | -6.2% |
| 2007 | 22.17 million tonnes | -11.0% |
| 2008 | 25.30 million tonnes | +14.1% |
| 2009 | 24.61 million tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 28.49 million tonnes | +15.7% |
| 2011 | 30.74 million tonnes | +7.9% |
| 2012 | 24.68 million tonnes | -19.7% |
| 2013 | 29.45 million tonnes | +19.3% |
| 2014 | 21.68 million tonnes | -26.4% |
| 2015 | 24.24 million tonnes | +11.8% |
| 2016 | 30.64 million tonnes | +26.4% |
| 2017 | 18.90 million tonnes | -38.3% |
| 2018 | 23.81 million tonnes | +26.0% |
| 2019 | 19.65 million tonnes | -17.5% |
| 2020 | 19.82 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 23.29 million tonnes | +17.5% |
| 2022 | 24.48 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 2023 | 18.64 million tonnes | -23.9% |
| 2024 | 27.15 million tonnes | +45.6% |
| 2025 | 21.76 million tonnes | -19.8% |
| 2026 | 34.50 million tonnes | +58.6% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 34.50 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.38 million tonnes, 10.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 34.50 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.74 million tonnes, 3.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24.09 million tonnes | 21.91 million tonnes | 26.55 million tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 25.23 million tonnes | 18.90 million tonnes | 30.74 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.24 million tonnes | 18.64 million tonnes | 34.50 million tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More climate change data for Congo
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 226,333 kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 762.73 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 278.7 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 484.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1.05 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 17.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 13.23 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 6.62 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 6.61 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.025 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Congo?
- Annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Congo was 34.50 million tonnes in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 34.50 million tonnes in 2026.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.64 million tonnes in 2023.
- How does Congo rank for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires?
- Congo ranks 26th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Congo data come from?
- The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon dioxide released by wildfires in tonnes. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.