Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Malawi
Malawi: Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions was 1.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Malawi, 1951–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 1.6% for annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in 2024.
The figure is down 45.1% on the previous year and up 116.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in Malawi peaked at 41.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, -15.0%, in 1981.
Malawi ranks 123rd of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 10.3% | — |
| 1952 | 12.5% | +21.6% |
| 1953 | 9.0% | -28.0% |
| 1954 | 9.9% | +10.6% |
| 1955 | 17.9% | +80.2% |
| 1956 | 9.0% | -49.7% |
| 1957 | 2.9% | -67.5% |
| 1958 | -10.7% | -464.2% |
| 1959 | 11.6% | -208.3% |
| 1960 | -4.7% | -140.3% |
| 1961 | -14.8% | +218.8% |
| 1962 | -3.4% | -77.1% |
| 1963 | -3.9% | +13.3% |
| 1964 | -4.9% | +27.6% |
| 1965 | 5.6% | -212.9% |
| 1966 | 23.1% | +316.5% |
| 1967 | -14.5% | -162.8% |
| 1968 | 6.0% | -141.2% |
| 1969 | -1.9% | -131.8% |
| 1970 | 19.3% | -1111.0% |
| 1971 | 10.5% | -45.6% |
| 1972 | 8.8% | -16.5% |
| 1973 | 4.7% | -46.5% |
| 1974 | -3.9% | -182.4% |
| 1975 | 5.3% | -237.8% |
| 1976 | 0.6% | -87.9% |
| 1977 | 9.4% | +1366.8% |
| 1978 | 5.2% | -45.2% |
| 1979 | -4.9% | -195.5% |
| 1980 | 11.5% | -333.7% |
| 1981 | -15.0% | -229.9% |
| 1982 | -1.8% | -88.1% |
| 1983 | -3.1% | +75.6% |
| 1984 | -3.2% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 0.0% | -100.7% |
| 1986 | -0.7% | -3111.1% |
| 1987 | -1.3% | +92.2% |
| 1988 | -0.7% | -50.3% |
| 1989 | 4.0% | -710.0% |
| 1990 | 30.8% | +663.0% |
| 1991 | 6.8% | -77.8% |
| 1992 | -0.0% | -100.5% |
| 1993 | 11.6% | -34505.4% |
| 1994 | 2.6% | -77.3% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | -94.4% |
| 1996 | 1.8% | +1125.1% |
| 1997 | -0.1% | -107.8% |
| 1998 | -1.8% | +1160.8% |
| 1999 | -0.9% | -47.5% |
| 2000 | -4.4% | +367.1% |
| 2001 | -9.0% | +104.2% |
| 2002 | 10.2% | -213.1% |
| 2003 | 6.8% | -32.6% |
| 2004 | -1.4% | -121.0% |
| 2005 | -6.3% | +334.6% |
| 2006 | 0.7% | -111.4% |
| 2007 | 8.0% | +1021.2% |
| 2008 | 8.7% | +8.6% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | -78.1% |
| 2010 | -4.5% | -336.0% |
| 2011 | 6.3% | -242.1% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | -89.5% |
| 2013 | 7.6% | +1043.1% |
| 2014 | -9.4% | -222.9% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | -136.5% |
| 2016 | 11.7% | +240.5% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | -85.0% |
| 2018 | 41.7% | +2271.9% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | -99.2% |
| 2020 | 10.2% | +3145.1% |
| 2021 | -9.9% | -197.5% |
| 2022 | 7.1% | -171.1% |
| 2023 | 2.8% | -59.8% |
| 2024 | 1.6% | -45.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1.6% is below the median for low income countries, which is 1.6%, 99% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.8%, 89% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +34505.4% | -0.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020 | +3145.1% | 0.3% | 10.2% |
| 1986 | -3111.1% | 0.0% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | +2271.9% | 1.8% | 41.7% |
| 1977 | +1366.8% | 0.6% | 9.4% |
| 1996 | +1125.1% | 0.1% | 1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 8.1% | -10.7% | 17.9% | 9 |
| 1960s | -1.3% | -14.8% | 23.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.5% | -4.9% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.0% | -15.0% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.1% | -1.8% | 30.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.5% | -9.0% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.0% | -9.4% | 41.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | -9.9% | 10.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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 annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in Malawi?
- Annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in Malawi was 1.6% in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual percentage change in co₂ emissions recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 41.7% in 2018.
- What is the lowest annual percentage change in co₂ emissions recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -15.0% in 1981.
- How does Malawi rank for annual percentage change in co₂ emissions?
- Malawi ranks 123rd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual percentage change in co₂ emissions rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 116.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual percentage growth in total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change.