What is emissions of air pollutants in Ghana?

Emissions of air pollutants in Ghana was 1.09 million tonnes in 2022, according to Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Ghana?

The highest recorded value was 1.14 million tonnes in 1999.

What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Ghana?

The lowest recorded value was 51,485 tonnes in 1810.

How does Ghana rank for emissions of air pollutants?

Ghana ranks 52nd out of 220 countries with data for 2022.

Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in Ghana?

Over the last ten years it is up 32.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Ghana data come from?

The figures come from Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

emissions of air pollutants in Ghana

Name: emissions of air pollutants in Ghana
Creator: Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Ghana: emissions of air pollutants was 1.09 million tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)

1.09 million tonnes

Change on year

up 1.2%

World rank

52nd

of 220 countries

All-time high

1.14 million tonnes

in 1999

All-time low

51,485 tonnes

in 1810

Years of data

273

1750–2022

emissions of air pollutants in Ghana, 1750–2022

Source: Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

The most recent figure for emissions of air pollutants in Ghana is 1.09 million tonnes, measured in 2022.

The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 32.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants in Ghana peaked at 1.14 million tonnes in 1999 and was at its lowest, 51,485 tonnes, in 1810.

Ghana ranks 52nd of 220 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1750s	58,396 tonnes	57,819 tonnes	58,975 tonnes	10
1760s	57,119 tonnes	56,549 tonnes	57,691 tonnes	10
1770s	55,857 tonnes	55,293 tonnes	56,422 tonnes	10
1780s	54,610 tonnes	54,052 tonnes	55,168 tonnes	10
1790s	53,375 tonnes	52,823 tonnes	53,928 tonnes	10
1800s	52,153 tonnes	51,606 tonnes	52,701 tonnes	10
1810s	51,589 tonnes	51,485 tonnes	51,693 tonnes	10
1820s	51,812 tonnes	51,716 tonnes	51,907 tonnes	10
1830s	52,014 tonnes	51,928 tonnes	52,099 tonnes	10
1840s	52,194 tonnes	52,118 tonnes	52,268 tonnes	10
1850s	52,628 tonnes	52,264 tonnes	52,844 tonnes	10
1860s	53,282 tonnes	52,892 tonnes	53,701 tonnes	10
1870s	57,431 tonnes	53,798 tonnes	68,187 tonnes	10
1880s	101,206 tonnes	73,521 tonnes	120,109 tonnes	10
1890s	123,226 tonnes	121,303 tonnes	124,746 tonnes	10
1900s	137,934 tonnes	125,174 tonnes	148,107 tonnes	10
1910s	179,061 tonnes	139,065 tonnes	200,310 tonnes	10
1920s	239,504 tonnes	202,968 tonnes	280,269 tonnes	10
1930s	338,726 tonnes	297,114 tonnes	373,606 tonnes	10
1940s	405,930 tonnes	381,386 tonnes	427,196 tonnes	10
1950s	453,152 tonnes	436,385 tonnes	470,490 tonnes	10
1960s	497,135 tonnes	475,909 tonnes	536,683 tonnes	10
1970s	642,521 tonnes	535,606 tonnes	736,020 tonnes	10
1980s	849,733 tonnes	760,325 tonnes	985,902 tonnes	10
1990s	1.10 million tonnes	1.01 million tonnes	1.14 million tonnes	10
2000s	876,839 tonnes	712,032 tonnes	1.13 million tonnes	10
2010s	882,754 tonnes	736,849 tonnes	990,579 tonnes	10
2020s	1.06 million tonnes	1.01 million tonnes	1.09 million tonnes	3

Countries ranked near Ghana

49 Ukraine 1.20 million tonnes compare
50 Somalia 1.16 million tonnes compare
51 Afghanistan 1.10 million tonnes compare
53 Haiti 1.08 million tonnes compare
54 Spain 1.03 million tonnes compare
55 Burkina Faso 987,249 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More climate change data for Ghana

Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.7% (2100)
Population growth 1.8% (2025)
Population, total 35.06 million (2025)
Urban population growth 2.8% (2025)
Urban population 20.66 million (2025)
Urban population 58.9% (2025)
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 0.6106 tonnes per person (2024)
Cumulative CO₂ emissions 426.54 million tonnes (2024)
CO₂ emissions per capita 0.6106 tonnes per person (2024)
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 0.6106 tonnes per person (2024)

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is emissions of air pollutants in Ghana?: Emissions of air pollutants in Ghana was 1.09 million tonnes in 2022, according to Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Ghana?: The highest recorded value was 1.14 million tonnes in 1999.
What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Ghana?: The lowest recorded value was 51,485 tonnes in 1810.
How does Ghana rank for emissions of air pollutants?: Ghana ranks 52nd out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in Ghana?: Over the last ten years it is up 32.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ghana data come from?: The figures come from Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 273 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: emissions of air pollutants
Unit: tonnes
Source: Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 220 places, 60,060 data points, 1750–2022
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a pollutant produced from the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels such as oil, gas, wood, and coal. CO is a harmful gas that contributes to both outdoor and indoor air pollution.