Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) in Africa
Africa: Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) was 553,953 kt in 2025. ▼ Falling
Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) in Africa, 1990–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kt.
Analysis
In 2025, carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) in Africa stood at 553,953 kt. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 54.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) in Africa peaked at 1.21 million kt in 2012 and was at its lowest, 553,953 kt, in 2021.
Africa ranks 6th of 31 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) in Africa, year by year
| Year | kt | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 963,538 kt | — |
| 1991 | 963,538 kt | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 963,538 kt | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 963,538 kt | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 963,538 kt | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 963,538 kt | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 963,538 kt | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 963,538 kt | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 963,538 kt | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 963,538 kt | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 963,538 kt | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 920,949 kt | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 920,949 kt | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 920,949 kt | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 920,949 kt | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 920,949 kt | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 920,949 kt | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 920,949 kt | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 920,949 kt | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 920,949 kt | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 920,949 kt | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.21 million kt | +31.8% |
| 2012 | 1.21 million kt | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.21 million kt | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.21 million kt | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.21 million kt | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 927,168 kt | -23.6% |
| 2017 | 927,168 kt | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 927,168 kt | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 927,168 kt | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 927,168 kt | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 553,953 kt | -40.3% |
| 2022 | 553,953 kt | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 553,953 kt | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 553,953 kt | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 553,953 kt | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 963,538 kt | 963,538 kt | 963,538 kt | 10 |
| 2000s | 925,208 kt | 920,949 kt | 963,538 kt | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.07 million kt | 920,949 kt | 1.21 million kt | 10 |
| 2020s | 616,156 kt | 553,953 kt | 927,168 kt | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa
- 3 Canada 103,437 kt compare
- 3 Democratic Republic of the Congo 154,748 kt compare
- 4 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 61,541 kt compare
- 4 Cambodia 70,026 kt compare
- 5 Cameroon 60,845 kt compare
- 5 United Republic of Tanzania 59,158 kt compare
- 6 Colombia 56,313 kt compare
- 7 Italy 53,504 kt compare
- 7 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 24,464 kt compare
- 8 Lao People's Democratic Republic 9,878 kt compare
- 8 Myanmar 53,005 kt compare
- 9 Madagascar 51,311 kt compare
- 9 Melanesia 630.67 kt compare
More climate change data for Africa
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 7.12 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 778,093 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 263,963 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 514,131 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 996.09 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 18,362 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 114,526 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 60,368 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 54,158 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 227.81 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) in Africa?
- Carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) in Africa was 553,953 kt in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.21 million kt in 2012.
- What is the lowest carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 553,953 kt in 2021.
- How does Africa rank for carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2)?
- Africa ranks 6th out of 31 groups with data for 2025.
- Is carbon stock change in forests — net emissions/removals (co2) rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Carbon stock change in forests — Net emissions/removals (CO2) (Forest land). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The FAOSTAT domain on Emissions from Forests consists of CO2 emissions and removals corresponding to forest carbon stock changes (aboveground and belowground living biomass). Estimates are computed following the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (IPCC, 2006).