CO₂ emissions from transport in Malawi
Malawi: CO₂ emissions from transport was 1.21 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1.21 million tonnes
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
141st
of 191 countries
All-time high
1.30 million tonnes
in 2019
All-time low
390,000 tonnes
in 2000
Years of data
34
1990–2023
CO₂ emissions from transport in Malawi, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, co₂ emissions from transport in Malawi stood at 1.21 million tonnes.
The figure is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 72.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from transport in Malawi peaked at 1.30 million tonnes in 2019 and was at its lowest, 390,000 tonnes, in 2000.
Malawi ranks 141st of 191 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions from transport in Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 420,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 450,000 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 1992 | 450,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 460,000 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 470,000 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 470,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 470,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 470,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 430,000 tonnes | -8.5% |
| 1999 | 410,000 tonnes | -4.7% |
| 2000 | 390,000 tonnes | -4.9% |
| 2001 | 400,000 tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 420,000 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 470,000 tonnes | +11.9% |
| 2004 | 470,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 450,000 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 460,000 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 510,000 tonnes | +10.9% |
| 2008 | 650,000 tonnes | +27.5% |
| 2009 | 680,000 tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 610,000 tonnes | -10.3% |
| 2011 | 630,000 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 660,000 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 700,000 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 2014 | 560,000 tonnes | -20.0% |
| 2015 | 640,000 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 2016 | 780,000 tonnes | +21.9% |
| 2017 | 930,000 tonnes | +19.2% |
| 2018 | 1.05 million tonnes | +12.9% |
| 2019 | 1.30 million tonnes | +23.8% |
| 2020 | 1.13 million tonnes | -13.1% |
| 2021 | 1.13 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.17 million tonnes | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 1.21 million tonnes | +3.4% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1.21 million tonnes is below the median for low income countries, which is 1.50 million tonnes, 81% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1.21 million tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.82 million tonnes, 66% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 450,000 tonnes | 410,000 tonnes | 470,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 490,000 tonnes | 390,000 tonnes | 680,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 786,000 tonnes | 560,000 tonnes | 1.30 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.16 million tonnes | 1.13 million tonnes | 1.21 million tonnes | 4 |
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 co₂ emissions from transport in Malawi?
- Co₂ emissions from transport in Malawi was 1.21 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions from transport recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 1.30 million tonnes in 2019.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions from transport recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 390,000 tonnes in 2000.
- How does Malawi rank for co₂ emissions from transport?
- Malawi ranks 141st out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions from transport rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 72.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions from transport. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes.