Annual CO₂ emissions from coal in Kenya
Kenya: Annual CO₂ emissions from coal was 3.22 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
3.22 million tonnes
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
70th
of 179 countries
All-time high
3.22 million tonnes
in 2024
All-time low
36,640 tonnes
in 1953
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Annual CO₂ emissions from coal in Kenya, 1950–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual co₂ emissions from coal in Kenya is 3.22 million tonnes, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 75 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.1% on the previous year and up 193.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from coal in Kenya peaked at 3.22 million tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 36,640 tonnes, in 1953.
That places Kenya 70th out of 179 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual CO₂ emissions from coal in Kenya, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 117,248 tonnes | — |
| 1951 | 51,296 tonnes | -56.2% |
| 1952 | 76,944 tonnes | +50.0% |
| 1953 | 36,640 tonnes | -52.4% |
| 1954 | 62,288 tonnes | +70.0% |
| 1955 | 69,616 tonnes | +11.8% |
| 1956 | 120,912 tonnes | +73.7% |
| 1957 | 106,256 tonnes | -12.1% |
| 1958 | 102,592 tonnes | -3.4% |
| 1959 | 99,092 tonnes | -3.4% |
| 1960 | 113,413 tonnes | +14.5% |
| 1961 | 98,777 tonnes | -12.9% |
| 1962 | 117,412 tonnes | +18.9% |
| 1963 | 113,584 tonnes | -3.3% |
| 1964 | 91,600 tonnes | -19.4% |
| 1965 | 146,343 tonnes | +59.8% |
| 1966 | 128,415 tonnes | -12.3% |
| 1967 | 131,904 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1968 | 109,777 tonnes | -16.8% |
| 1969 | 84,371 tonnes | -23.1% |
| 1970 | 219,840 tonnes | +160.6% |
| 1971 | 216,176 tonnes | -1.7% |
| 1972 | 106,256 tonnes | -50.8% |
| 1973 | 187,039 tonnes | +76.0% |
| 1974 | 175,872 tonnes | -6.0% |
| 1975 | 120,912 tonnes | -31.2% |
| 1976 | 168,544 tonnes | +39.4% |
| 1977 | 168,544 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 139,136 tonnes | -17.4% |
| 1979 | 43,936 tonnes | -68.4% |
| 1980 | 47,604 tonnes | +8.3% |
| 1981 | 238,160 tonnes | +400.3% |
| 1982 | 87,936 tonnes | -63.1% |
| 1983 | 245,295 tonnes | +178.9% |
| 1984 | 315,104 tonnes | +28.5% |
| 1985 | 230,832 tonnes | -26.7% |
| 1986 | 227,168 tonnes | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 245,314 tonnes | +8.0% |
| 1988 | 300,448 tonnes | +22.5% |
| 1989 | 351,744 tonnes | +17.1% |
| 1990 | 403,040 tonnes | +14.6% |
| 1991 | 351,744 tonnes | -12.7% |
| 1992 | 421,360 tonnes | +19.8% |
| 1993 | 351,539 tonnes | -16.6% |
| 1994 | 293,120 tonnes | -16.6% |
| 1995 | 369,883 tonnes | +26.2% |
| 1996 | 351,744 tonnes | -4.9% |
| 1997 | 245,378 tonnes | -30.2% |
| 1998 | 197,783 tonnes | -19.4% |
| 1999 | 194,192 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 175,872 tonnes | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 175,872 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 263,931 tonnes | +50.1% |
| 2003 | 245,488 tonnes | -7.0% |
| 2004 | 285,792 tonnes | +16.4% |
| 2005 | 333,279 tonnes | +16.6% |
| 2006 | 443,344 tonnes | +33.0% |
| 2007 | 399,528 tonnes | -9.9% |
| 2008 | 410,368 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 366,400 tonnes | -10.7% |
| 2010 | 626,544 tonnes | +71.0% |
| 2011 | 894,016 tonnes | +42.7% |
| 2012 | 802,171 tonnes | -10.3% |
| 2013 | 886,688 tonnes | +10.5% |
| 2014 | 1.10 million tonnes | +23.9% |
| 2015 | 1.16 million tonnes | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 1.15 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 1.08 million tonnes | -5.8% |
| 2018 | 1.62 million tonnes | +49.8% |
| 2019 | 1.43 million tonnes | -11.7% |
| 2020 | 1.92 million tonnes | +34.4% |
| 2021 | 2.23 million tonnes | +16.0% |
| 2022 | 2.73 million tonnes | +22.5% |
| 2023 | 3.16 million tonnes | +15.6% |
| 2024 | 3.22 million tonnes | +2.1% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 3.22 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 589,296 tonnes, 5.5× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 3.22 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 45,300 tonnes, 71.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual CO₂ emissions from coal in Kenya 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +400.3% | 47,604 tonnes | 238,160 tonnes |
| 1983 | +178.9% | 87,936 tonnes | 245,295 tonnes |
| 1970 | +160.6% | 84,371 tonnes | 219,840 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 84,288 tonnes | 36,640 tonnes | 120,912 tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 113,560 tonnes | 84,371 tonnes | 146,343 tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 154,626 tonnes | 43,936 tonnes | 219,840 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 228,960 tonnes | 47,604 tonnes | 351,744 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 317,978 tonnes | 194,192 tonnes | 421,360 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 309,987 tonnes | 175,872 tonnes | 443,344 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.07 million tonnes | 626,544 tonnes | 1.62 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.65 million tonnes | 1.92 million tonnes | 3.22 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
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 coal in Kenya?
- Annual co₂ emissions from coal in Kenya was 3.22 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual co₂ emissions from coal recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 3.22 million tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from coal recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 36,640 tonnes in 1953.
- How does Kenya rank for annual co₂ emissions from coal?
- Kenya ranks 70th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from coal rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 193.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual CO₂ emissions from coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured in tonnes.