Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Congo
Congo: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 81,356 tonnes in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual PM2.5 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
Congo recorded 81,356 tonnes for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in 2026.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and down 30.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Congo peaked at 116,220 tonnes in 2016 and was at its lowest, 69,428 tonnes, in 2023.
That places Congo 27th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 88,737 tonnes | 80,051 tonnes | 99,814 tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 94,222 tonnes | 70,046 tonnes | 116,220 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 84,190 tonnes | 69,428 tonnes | 104,776 tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Congo
- 24 Cameroon 90,507 tonnes compare
- 25 South Africa 86,388 tonnes compare
- 26 Sierra Leone 83,300 tonnes compare
- 28 Bolivia 80,154 tonnes compare
- 29 Tanzania 77,332 tonnes compare
- 30 Madagascar 73,398 tonnes compare
More climate change data for Congo
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.2% (2100)
- Population growth 2.4% (2025)
- Population, total 6.48 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 2.7% (2025)
- Urban population 4.16 million (2025)
- Urban population 64.1% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 1.4 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 191.08 million tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 1.4 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 1.4 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Congo?
- Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Congo was 81,356 tonnes in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 116,220 tonnes in 2016.
- What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 69,428 tonnes in 2023.
- How does Congo rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
- Congo ranks 27th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 PM2.5 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
PM2.5 emissions represent the quantity of fine particulate matter (diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) released by wildfires, in tonnes. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.