Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Ghana
Ghana: Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires was 20.33 million tonnes in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Ghana, 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 Ghana is 20.33 million tonnes, measured in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 21.4% on the previous year and down 60.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Ghana peaked at 76.90 million tonnes in 2003 and was at its lowest, 20.33 million tonnes, in 2026.
Ghana ranks 33rd of 248 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Ghana, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 76.90 million tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 58.52 million tonnes | -23.9% |
| 2005 | 73.35 million tonnes | +25.3% |
| 2006 | 64.48 million tonnes | -12.1% |
| 2007 | 57.41 million tonnes | -11.0% |
| 2008 | 64.12 million tonnes | +11.7% |
| 2009 | 63.15 million tonnes | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 59.00 million tonnes | -6.6% |
| 2011 | 75.55 million tonnes | +28.0% |
| 2012 | 48.05 million tonnes | -36.4% |
| 2013 | 58.55 million tonnes | +21.8% |
| 2014 | 50.85 million tonnes | -13.1% |
| 2015 | 58.38 million tonnes | +14.8% |
| 2016 | 51.78 million tonnes | -11.3% |
| 2017 | 50.77 million tonnes | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 44.22 million tonnes | -12.9% |
| 2019 | 44.08 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 51.25 million tonnes | +16.3% |
| 2021 | 32.83 million tonnes | -35.9% |
| 2022 | 45.67 million tonnes | +39.1% |
| 2023 | 30.09 million tonnes | -34.1% |
| 2024 | 38.48 million tonnes | +27.9% |
| 2025 | 25.86 million tonnes | -32.8% |
| 2026 | 20.33 million tonnes | -21.4% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 20.33 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.38 million tonnes, 6.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 20.33 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.74 million tonnes, 2.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 65.42 million tonnes | 57.41 million tonnes | 76.90 million tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 54.12 million tonnes | 44.08 million tonnes | 75.55 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.93 million tonnes | 20.33 million tonnes | 51.25 million tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More climate change data for Ghana
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 63.84 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 6,671 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,693 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,979 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 10.16 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 142.09 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,417 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 670.16 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 746.8 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.53 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Ghana?
- Annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Ghana was 20.33 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 76.90 million tonnes in 2003.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.33 million tonnes in 2026.
- How does Ghana rank for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires?
- Ghana ranks 33rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 60.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana 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.