What is emissions of air pollutants in Malawi?

Emissions of air pollutants in Malawi was 528,084 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 Malawi?

The highest recorded value was 528,084 tonnes in 2022.

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

The lowest recorded value was 25,019 tonnes in 1750.

How does Malawi rank for emissions of air pollutants?

Malawi ranks 76th out of 220 countries with data for 2022.

Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in Malawi?

Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Malawi 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 Malawi

Name: emissions of air pollutants in Malawi
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)

Malawi: emissions of air pollutants was 528,084 tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)

528,084 tonnes

Change on year

up 1.2%

World rank

76th

of 220 countries

All-time high

528,084 tonnes

in 2022

All-time low

25,019 tonnes

in 1750

Years of data

273

1750–2022

emissions of air pollutants in Malawi, 1750–2022

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

Analysis

In 2022, emissions of air pollutants in Malawi stood at 528,084 tonnes. That is the highest value across all 273 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants in Malawi peaked at 528,084 tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, 25,019 tonnes, in 1750.

That places Malawi 76th out of 220 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

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	25,051 tonnes	25,019 tonnes	25,082 tonnes	10
1760s	25,120 tonnes	25,089 tonnes	25,151 tonnes	10
1770s	25,189 tonnes	25,158 tonnes	25,219 tonnes	10
1780s	25,256 tonnes	25,226 tonnes	25,285 tonnes	10
1790s	25,321 tonnes	25,292 tonnes	25,350 tonnes	10
1800s	25,385 tonnes	25,356 tonnes	25,413 tonnes	10
1810s	25,505 tonnes	25,419 tonnes	25,590 tonnes	10
1820s	25,694 tonnes	25,609 tonnes	25,778 tonnes	10
1830s	25,881 tonnes	25,797 tonnes	25,966 tonnes	10
1840s	26,068 tonnes	25,984 tonnes	26,151 tonnes	10
1850s	26,417 tonnes	26,170 tonnes	26,702 tonnes	10
1860s	30,683 tonnes	27,372 tonnes	34,220 tonnes	10
1870s	42,332 tonnes	35,080 tonnes	47,217 tonnes	10
1880s	53,780 tonnes	48,323 tonnes	59,608 tonnes	10
1890s	66,443 tonnes	58,839 tonnes	74,626 tonnes	10
1900s	93,204 tonnes	76,634 tonnes	105,537 tonnes	10
1910s	114,511 tonnes	98,006 tonnes	130,188 tonnes	10
1920s	132,763 tonnes	124,939 tonnes	145,300 tonnes	10
1930s	171,121 tonnes	148,614 tonnes	180,467 tonnes	10
1940s	217,899 tonnes	181,053 tonnes	242,642 tonnes	10
1950s	231,251 tonnes	192,856 tonnes	266,845 tonnes	10
1960s	151,348 tonnes	131,871 tonnes	183,314 tonnes	10
1970s	178,256 tonnes	152,878 tonnes	205,651 tonnes	10
1980s	252,810 tonnes	214,146 tonnes	312,625 tonnes	10
1990s	371,775 tonnes	345,559 tonnes	388,781 tonnes	10
2000s	428,960 tonnes	404,513 tonnes	463,721 tonnes	10
2010s	493,287 tonnes	473,235 tonnes	504,602 tonnes	10
2020s	520,596 tonnes	511,940 tonnes	528,084 tonnes	3

Countries ranked near Malawi

73 Niger 598,353 tonnes compare
74 Paraguay 597,454 tonnes compare
75 Chad 576,398 tonnes compare
77 Taiwan 520,865 tonnes compare
78 Liberia 520,771 tonnes compare
79 Austria 517,344 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More climate change data for Malawi

Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.6% (2100)
Population growth 2.6% (2025)
Population, total 22.22 million (2025)
Urban population growth 4.4% (2025)
Urban population 3.91 million (2025)
Urban population 17.6% (2025)
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 0.0869 tonnes per person (2024)
Cumulative CO₂ emissions 57.56 million tonnes (2024)
CO₂ emissions per capita 0.0869 tonnes per person (2024)
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 0.0869 tonnes per person (2024)

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is emissions of air pollutants in Malawi?: Emissions of air pollutants in Malawi was 528,084 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 Malawi?: The highest recorded value was 528,084 tonnes in 2022.
What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Malawi?: The lowest recorded value was 25,019 tonnes in 1750.
How does Malawi rank for emissions of air pollutants?: Malawi ranks 76th out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in Malawi?: Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malawi 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.