CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Congo
Congo: CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change was 26.17 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
26.17 million tonnes
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
100th
of 194 countries
All-time high
84.11 million tonnes
in 1959
All-time low
4.87 million tonnes
in 1978
Years of data
75
1950–2024
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Congo, 1950–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Congo recorded 26.17 million tonnes for co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in 2024.
The figure is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 25.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Congo peaked at 84.11 million tonnes in 1959 and was at its lowest, 4.87 million tonnes, in 1978.
That places Congo 100th out of 194 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Congo, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 52.11 million tonnes | — |
| 1951 | 57.17 million tonnes | +9.7% |
| 1952 | 59.91 million tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1953 | 61.70 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1954 | 66.54 million tonnes | +7.8% |
| 1955 | 70.01 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1956 | 72.22 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1957 | 76.29 million tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1958 | 80.38 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1959 | 84.11 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 1960 | 49.84 million tonnes | -40.7% |
| 1961 | 34.61 million tonnes | -30.6% |
| 1962 | 27.39 million tonnes | -20.9% |
| 1963 | 22.11 million tonnes | -19.3% |
| 1964 | 19.16 million tonnes | -13.3% |
| 1965 | 16.07 million tonnes | -16.1% |
| 1966 | 14.60 million tonnes | -9.2% |
| 1967 | 12.84 million tonnes | -12.1% |
| 1968 | 12.44 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 1969 | 12.12 million tonnes | -2.6% |
| 1970 | 11.76 million tonnes | -3.0% |
| 1971 | 10.30 million tonnes | -12.5% |
| 1972 | 10.70 million tonnes | +3.9% |
| 1973 | 10.42 million tonnes | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 10.85 million tonnes | +4.1% |
| 1975 | 9.95 million tonnes | -8.3% |
| 1976 | 8.71 million tonnes | -12.5% |
| 1977 | 5.64 million tonnes | -35.2% |
| 1978 | 4.87 million tonnes | -13.7% |
| 1979 | 5.97 million tonnes | +22.6% |
| 1980 | 6.56 million tonnes | +9.8% |
| 1981 | 11.82 million tonnes | +80.2% |
| 1982 | 10.02 million tonnes | -15.2% |
| 1983 | 8.00 million tonnes | -20.1% |
| 1984 | 8.89 million tonnes | +11.1% |
| 1985 | 6.69 million tonnes | -24.7% |
| 1986 | 5.53 million tonnes | -17.3% |
| 1987 | 5.92 million tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1988 | 6.91 million tonnes | +16.7% |
| 1989 | 5.64 million tonnes | -18.3% |
| 1990 | 6.20 million tonnes | +9.9% |
| 1991 | 5.31 million tonnes | -14.3% |
| 1992 | 7.96 million tonnes | +49.8% |
| 1993 | 6.01 million tonnes | -24.5% |
| 1994 | 13.19 million tonnes | +119.5% |
| 1995 | 13.75 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 17.59 million tonnes | +27.9% |
| 1997 | 33.87 million tonnes | +92.6% |
| 1998 | 39.25 million tonnes | +15.9% |
| 1999 | 40.54 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 32.75 million tonnes | -19.2% |
| 2001 | 24.64 million tonnes | -24.8% |
| 2002 | 19.17 million tonnes | -22.2% |
| 2003 | 22.13 million tonnes | +15.4% |
| 2004 | 18.07 million tonnes | -18.3% |
| 2005 | 18.31 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 18.14 million tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 22.64 million tonnes | +24.8% |
| 2008 | 24.07 million tonnes | +6.3% |
| 2009 | 25.61 million tonnes | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 31.61 million tonnes | +23.4% |
| 2011 | 34.55 million tonnes | +9.3% |
| 2012 | 33.26 million tonnes | -3.7% |
| 2013 | 31.49 million tonnes | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 20.91 million tonnes | -33.6% |
| 2015 | 29.15 million tonnes | +39.4% |
| 2016 | 24.44 million tonnes | -16.1% |
| 2017 | 27.64 million tonnes | +13.1% |
| 2018 | 21.89 million tonnes | -20.8% |
| 2019 | 19.89 million tonnes | -9.1% |
| 2020 | 27.84 million tonnes | +40.0% |
| 2021 | 25.18 million tonnes | -9.6% |
| 2022 | 26.48 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2023 | 25.50 million tonnes | -3.7% |
| 2024 | 26.17 million tonnes | +2.6% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 26.17 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 26.17 million tonnes, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 26.17 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.74 million tonnes, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Congo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +119.5% | 6.01 million tonnes | 13.19 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 68.04 million tonnes | 52.11 million tonnes | 84.11 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 22.12 million tonnes | 12.12 million tonnes | 49.84 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.92 million tonnes | 4.87 million tonnes | 11.76 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.60 million tonnes | 5.53 million tonnes | 11.82 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.37 million tonnes | 5.31 million tonnes | 40.54 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.55 million tonnes | 18.07 million tonnes | 32.75 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.48 million tonnes | 19.89 million tonnes | 34.55 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.23 million tonnes | 25.18 million tonnes | 27.84 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More climate change data for Congo
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 226,333 kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 762.73 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 278.7 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 484.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1.05 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 17.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 13.23 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 6.62 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 6.61 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.025 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Congo?
- Co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Congo was 26.17 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 84.11 million tonnes in 1959.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.87 million tonnes in 1978.
- How does Congo rank for co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change?
- Congo ranks 100th out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Congo data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), including land-use change, measured in tonnes.