Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Rwanda
Rwanda: Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires was 649,708 tonnes in 2026. ▲ Rising
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Rwanda, 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 Rwanda is 649,708 tonnes, measured in 2026. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of up 106.3% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Rwanda peaked at 649,708 tonnes in 2026 and was at its lowest, 96,491 tonnes, in 2011.
That places Rwanda 104th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 435,032 tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 430,285 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 404,974 tonnes | -5.9% |
| 2006 | 296,524 tonnes | -26.8% |
| 2007 | 156,005 tonnes | -47.4% |
| 2008 | 162,592 tonnes | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 253,065 tonnes | +55.6% |
| 2010 | 481,287 tonnes | +90.2% |
| 2011 | 96,491 tonnes | -80.0% |
| 2012 | 420,928 tonnes | +336.2% |
| 2013 | 620,873 tonnes | +47.5% |
| 2014 | 214,060 tonnes | -65.5% |
| 2015 | 632,516 tonnes | +195.5% |
| 2016 | 590,815 tonnes | -6.6% |
| 2017 | 386,682 tonnes | -34.6% |
| 2018 | 202,762 tonnes | -47.6% |
| 2019 | 323,650 tonnes | +59.6% |
| 2020 | 143,961 tonnes | -55.5% |
| 2021 | 307,242 tonnes | +113.4% |
| 2022 | 291,684 tonnes | -5.1% |
| 2023 | 239,362 tonnes | -17.9% |
| 2024 | 313,700 tonnes | +31.1% |
| 2025 | 314,994 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2026 | 649,708 tonnes | +106.3% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 649,708 tonnes is below the median for low income countries, which is 6.31 million tonnes, 10% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 649,708 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.74 million tonnes, 7% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 305,497 tonnes | 156,005 tonnes | 435,032 tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 397,006 tonnes | 96,491 tonnes | 632,516 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 322,950 tonnes | 143,961 tonnes | 649,708 tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More climate change data for Rwanda
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 14.59 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,059 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,586 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,473 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 5.98 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 88.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 388.82 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 261.95 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 126.86 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.9885 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Rwanda?
- Annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Rwanda was 649,708 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 649,708 tonnes in 2026.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 96,491 tonnes in 2011.
- How does Rwanda rank for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires?
- Rwanda ranks 104th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.