Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Malawi
Malawi: Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre was 19.96 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
19.96 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
176th
of 204 countries
All-time high
19.96 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2024
All-time low
3.5 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1964
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Malawi, 1961–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2024, carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Malawi stood at 19.96 tonnes per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 85.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Malawi peaked at 19.96 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.5 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1964.
Malawi ranks 176th of 204 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.96 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 3.82 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 1963 | 3.68 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.9% |
| 1964 | 3.5 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 1965 | 3.69 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1966 | 4.55 tonnes per square kilometre | +23.1% |
| 1967 | 3.88 tonnes per square kilometre | -14.5% |
| 1968 | 4.12 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1969 | 4.04 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 1970 | 4.82 tonnes per square kilometre | +19.3% |
| 1971 | 5.32 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.5% |
| 1972 | 5.79 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.8% |
| 1973 | 6.06 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1974 | 5.82 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.9% |
| 1975 | 6.13 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1976 | 6.17 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 6.75 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.4% |
| 1978 | 7.1 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1979 | 6.75 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 1980 | 7.53 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.5% |
| 1981 | 6.4 tonnes per square kilometre | -15.0% |
| 1982 | 6.29 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 6.09 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 1984 | 5.9 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 1985 | 5.9 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 5.86 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 5.78 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 5.74 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 5.98 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 7.82 tonnes per square kilometre | +30.8% |
| 1991 | 8.35 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.8% |
| 1992 | 8.35 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 9.32 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.6% |
| 1994 | 9.56 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 9.58 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 9.75 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 9.74 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 9.56 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 9.47 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 9.06 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.4% |
| 2001 | 8.24 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.0% |
| 2002 | 9.08 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.2% |
| 2003 | 9.7 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.8% |
| 2004 | 9.56 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 8.97 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.3% |
| 2006 | 9.03 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 9.75 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.0% |
| 2008 | 10.59 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.7% |
| 2009 | 10.79 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 10.31 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 10.97 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.3% |
| 2012 | 11.04 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 11.88 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.6% |
| 2014 | 10.77 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.4% |
| 2015 | 11.14 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 12.44 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.7% |
| 2017 | 12.65 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 17.93 tonnes per square kilometre | +41.7% |
| 2019 | 17.98 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 19.81 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.2% |
| 2021 | 17.85 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.9% |
| 2022 | 19.11 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.1% |
| 2023 | 19.65 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 19.96 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 19.96 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 12.17 tonnes per square kilometre, 1.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 19.96 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 21.8 tonnes per square kilometre, 92% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.91 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.5 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.55 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 6.07 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.82 tonnes per square kilometre | 7.1 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.15 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.74 tonnes per square kilometre | 7.53 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.15 tonnes per square kilometre | 7.82 tonnes per square kilometre | 9.75 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.48 tonnes per square kilometre | 8.24 tonnes per square kilometre | 10.79 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.71 tonnes per square kilometre | 10.31 tonnes per square kilometre | 17.98 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.27 tonnes per square kilometre | 17.85 tonnes per square kilometre | 19.96 tonnes per square kilometre | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 173 Gabon 20.95 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 174 Cameroon 20.38 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 175 Paraguay 20.04 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 177 Sierra Leone 19.87 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 178 Yemen 19.17 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 179 Suriname 18.61 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for Malawi
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 415.04 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,106 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,605 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,501 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.06 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 89.31 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,185 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,819 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 366.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 10.64 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Malawi?
- Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Malawi was 19.96 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 19.96 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024.
- What is the lowest carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.5 tonnes per square kilometre in 1964.
- How does Malawi rank for carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre?
- Malawi ranks 176th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 85.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Carbon dioxide emissions by income level Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.