Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Kenya
Kenya: Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires was 3.38 million tonnes in 2026. ▼ Falling
Latest (2026)
3.38 million tonnes
Change on year
down 40.2%
World rank
68th
of 248 countries
All-time high
10.09 million tonnes
in 2012
All-time low
2.22 million tonnes
in 2018
Years of data
24
2003–2026
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Kenya, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 3.38 million tonnes for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in 2026.
The figure is down 40.2% on the previous year and down 27.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Kenya peaked at 10.09 million tonnes in 2012 and was at its lowest, 2.22 million tonnes, in 2018.
Kenya ranks 68th of 248 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Kenya, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 8.02 million tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 6.00 million tonnes | -25.2% |
| 2005 | 7.38 million tonnes | +22.9% |
| 2006 | 3.67 million tonnes | -50.2% |
| 2007 | 7.61 million tonnes | +107.1% |
| 2008 | 6.45 million tonnes | -15.2% |
| 2009 | 5.45 million tonnes | -15.6% |
| 2010 | 3.19 million tonnes | -41.5% |
| 2011 | 5.14 million tonnes | +61.2% |
| 2012 | 10.09 million tonnes | +96.5% |
| 2013 | 4.63 million tonnes | -54.1% |
| 2014 | 4.47 million tonnes | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 6.50 million tonnes | +45.7% |
| 2016 | 4.64 million tonnes | -28.6% |
| 2017 | 2.88 million tonnes | -38.0% |
| 2018 | 2.22 million tonnes | -22.7% |
| 2019 | 4.99 million tonnes | +124.5% |
| 2020 | 4.43 million tonnes | -11.3% |
| 2021 | 5.31 million tonnes | +19.8% |
| 2022 | 2.48 million tonnes | -53.2% |
| 2023 | 3.47 million tonnes | +39.6% |
| 2024 | 3.45 million tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 5.65 million tonnes | +63.6% |
| 2026 | 3.38 million tonnes | -40.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 3.38 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.38 million tonnes, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 3.38 million tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.74 million tonnes, 39% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.37 million tonnes | 3.67 million tonnes | 8.02 million tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 4.88 million tonnes | 2.22 million tonnes | 10.09 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.02 million tonnes | 2.48 million tonnes | 5.65 million tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 65 Guinea-Bissau 3.96 million tonnes compare
- 66 Gabon 3.90 million tonnes compare
- 67 Saudi Arabia 3.81 million tonnes compare
- 69 Portugal 3.37 million tonnes compare
- 70 Togo 3.30 million tonnes compare
- 71 United Arab Emirates 3.27 million tonnes compare
More climate change data for Kenya
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 276.34 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 50,641 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 16,186 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,454 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 61.08 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,231 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,372 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,116 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 255.67 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.99 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Kenya?
- Annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Kenya was 3.38 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 10.09 million tonnes in 2012.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.22 million tonnes in 2018.
- How does Kenya rank for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires?
- Kenya ranks 68th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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.