Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions was 3.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Sierra Leone, 1951–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in Sierra Leone is 3.9%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 189.1% on the previous year and down 46.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in Sierra Leone peaked at 204.7% in 1960 and was at its lowest, -59.5%, in 1961.
That places Sierra Leone 51st out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | -39.5% | — |
| 1952 | 88.5% | -323.8% |
| 1953 | -6.1% | -106.9% |
| 1954 | -26.1% | +326.1% |
| 1955 | 47.1% | -280.4% |
| 1956 | -2.0% | -104.3% |
| 1957 | 116.3% | -5916.4% |
| 1958 | -46.2% | -139.7% |
| 1959 | 12.3% | -126.6% |
| 1960 | 204.7% | +1566.7% |
| 1961 | -59.5% | -129.1% |
| 1962 | 12.7% | -121.3% |
| 1963 | 13.5% | +6.5% |
| 1964 | -17.8% | -232.2% |
| 1965 | -7.2% | -59.4% |
| 1966 | 6.5% | -189.8% |
| 1967 | -15.9% | -344.1% |
| 1968 | 43.5% | -374.2% |
| 1969 | 199.0% | +357.7% |
| 1970 | -20.9% | -110.5% |
| 1971 | -6.4% | -69.4% |
| 1972 | -15.5% | +142.2% |
| 1973 | -20.5% | +32.3% |
| 1974 | -3.4% | -83.4% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | -120.7% |
| 1976 | -14.0% | -2086.0% |
| 1977 | 13.8% | -198.8% |
| 1978 | 38.6% | +179.1% |
| 1979 | -4.6% | -112.0% |
| 1980 | -10.3% | +121.4% |
| 1981 | 13.9% | -234.9% |
| 1982 | -20.1% | -245.1% |
| 1983 | 24.5% | -221.9% |
| 1984 | -10.6% | -143.4% |
| 1985 | 7.7% | -172.7% |
| 1986 | 1.7% | -78.6% |
| 1987 | -26.1% | -1673.9% |
| 1988 | -8.1% | -69.0% |
| 1989 | -18.4% | +127.5% |
| 1990 | 33.3% | -281.2% |
| 1991 | 11.8% | -64.7% |
| 1992 | -49.3% | -519.4% |
| 1993 | -6.5% | -86.8% |
| 1994 | 4.2% | -164.2% |
| 1995 | -18.7% | -548.0% |
| 1996 | 3.3% | -117.6% |
| 1997 | -11.1% | -438.9% |
| 1998 | 7.1% | -164.3% |
| 1999 | -20.0% | -380.0% |
| 2000 | 54.2% | -370.8% |
| 2001 | 37.8% | -30.1% |
| 2002 | 34.3% | -9.3% |
| 2003 | 7.3% | -78.7% |
| 2004 | -3.4% | -146.6% |
| 2005 | -16.9% | +396.9% |
| 2006 | 33.1% | -295.6% |
| 2007 | -15.3% | -146.3% |
| 2008 | 3.8% | -124.6% |
| 2009 | -0.7% | -119.3% |
| 2010 | 8.8% | -1308.8% |
| 2011 | 30.9% | +252.5% |
| 2012 | 16.4% | -46.8% |
| 2013 | 26.4% | +61.1% |
| 2014 | 7.3% | -72.3% |
| 2015 | -3.9% | -153.7% |
| 2016 | 5.1% | -229.9% |
| 2017 | -3.9% | -175.6% |
| 2018 | -5.4% | +38.7% |
| 2019 | 7.8% | -245.3% |
| 2020 | 6.2% | -19.9% |
| 2021 | 25.0% | +300.9% |
| 2022 | -2.7% | -110.8% |
| 2023 | -4.4% | +62.3% |
| 2024 | 3.9% | -189.1% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 3.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 1.6%, 2.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 3.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.8%, 2.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual percentage change in CO₂ emissions in Sierra Leone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | +5916.4% | -2.0% | 116.3% |
| 1976 | -2086.0% | 0.7% | -14.0% |
| 1987 | -1673.9% | 1.7% | -26.1% |
| 1960 | +1566.7% | 12.3% | 204.7% |
| 2010 | +1308.8% | -0.7% | 8.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 16.0% | -46.2% | 116.3% | 9 |
| 1960s | 37.9% | -59.5% | 204.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | -3.2% | -20.9% | 38.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | -4.6% | -26.1% | 24.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | -4.6% | -49.3% | 33.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.4% | -16.9% | 54.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.0% | -5.4% | 30.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.6% | -4.4% | 25.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More climate change data for Sierra Leone
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 3.65 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,547 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 538.77 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,008 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 36.02 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,431 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 201.66 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,229 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.761 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in Sierra Leone?
- Annual percentage change in co₂ emissions in Sierra Leone was 3.9% 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 Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 204.7% in 1960.
- What is the lowest annual percentage change in co₂ emissions recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was -59.5% in 1961.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for annual percentage change in co₂ emissions?
- Sierra Leone ranks 51st out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual percentage change in co₂ emissions rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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.
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About this data
Annual percentage growth in total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change.