Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change was 2.35 billion tonnes in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
2.35 billion tonnes
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
62nd
of 197 countries
All-time high
2.35 billion tonnes
in 2024
All-time low
32.01 million tonnes
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change in Sierra Leone, 1850–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change in Sierra Leone stood at 2.35 billion tonnes. That is the highest value across all 175 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change in Sierra Leone peaked at 2.35 billion tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 32.01 million tonnes, in 1850.
Sierra Leone ranks 62nd of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 32.01 million tonnes | — |
| 1851 | 76.65 million tonnes | +139.5% |
| 1852 | 128.12 million tonnes | +67.2% |
| 1853 | 184.21 million tonnes | +43.8% |
| 1854 | 240.43 million tonnes | +30.5% |
| 1855 | 302.71 million tonnes | +25.9% |
| 1856 | 364.87 million tonnes | +20.5% |
| 1857 | 429.17 million tonnes | +17.6% |
| 1858 | 493.12 million tonnes | +14.9% |
| 1859 | 560.13 million tonnes | +13.6% |
| 1860 | 595.83 million tonnes | +6.4% |
| 1861 | 619.99 million tonnes | +4.1% |
| 1862 | 638.45 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1863 | 652.80 million tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1864 | 664.44 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1865 | 674.17 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1866 | 682.60 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1867 | 690.44 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1868 | 696.98 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1869 | 702.71 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1870 | 708.04 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1871 | 713.11 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1872 | 717.74 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1873 | 722.03 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1874 | 726.22 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1875 | 730.71 million tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1876 | 734.57 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1877 | 738.14 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1878 | 741.53 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1879 | 744.78 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1880 | 747.97 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1881 | 751.42 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1882 | 754.46 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1883 | 757.33 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1884 | 760.11 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1885 | 763.40 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1886 | 766.80 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1887 | 769.69 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1888 | 772.45 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1889 | 775.12 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1890 | 777.62 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1891 | 780.00 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1892 | 782.37 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1893 | 784.61 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1894 | 786.85 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1895 | 789.01 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1896 | 791.14 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1897 | 793.25 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1898 | 795.39 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1899 | 797.59 million tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1900 | 799.52 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1901 | 801.35 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1902 | 803.11 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1903 | 804.84 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1904 | 806.61 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1905 | 808.31 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1906 | 809.99 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1907 | 811.65 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1908 | 813.29 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1909 | 814.93 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1910 | 816.01 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1911 | 816.85 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1912 | 817.56 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1913 | 818.16 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1914 | 819.26 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1915 | 819.92 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1916 | 820.44 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1917 | 820.88 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1918 | 821.28 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 821.64 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 824.93 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1921 | 829.37 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1922 | 835.27 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1923 | 841.21 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1924 | 848.09 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1925 | 855.00 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1926 | 861.99 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1927 | 869.30 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1928 | 877.45 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1929 | 885.68 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1930 | 892.80 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1931 | 899.71 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1932 | 906.49 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1933 | 913.39 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1934 | 920.88 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1935 | 928.77 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1936 | 936.72 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1937 | 944.53 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1938 | 952.01 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1939 | 959.47 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1940 | 967.59 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1941 | 976.65 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1942 | 985.65 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1943 | 995.04 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1944 | 1.00 billion tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1945 | 1.01 billion tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1946 | 1.03 billion tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1947 | 1.04 billion tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1948 | 1.05 billion tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1949 | 1.06 billion tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1950 | 1.07 billion tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1951 | 1.08 billion tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1952 | 1.09 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1953 | 1.09 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1954 | 1.10 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1955 | 1.11 billion tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1956 | 1.11 billion tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 1.12 billion tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1958 | 1.12 billion tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1959 | 1.13 billion tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 1.13 billion tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1961 | 1.14 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 1.15 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 1.15 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 1.16 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 1.17 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 1.18 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 1.19 billion tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 1.20 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 1.20 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 1.21 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 1.22 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 1.23 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 1.24 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 1.24 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 1.25 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 1.26 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 1.27 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 1.28 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 1.29 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 1.29 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 1.30 billion tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 1.31 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 1.32 billion tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 1.34 billion tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 1.36 billion tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 1.37 billion tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 1.38 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 1.38 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 1.39 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 1.40 billion tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 1.41 billion tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 1.41 billion tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 1.42 billion tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 1.42 billion tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 1.43 billion tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 1.43 billion tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 1.44 billion tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 1.45 billion tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 1.46 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 1.50 billion tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 1.57 billion tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 1.66 billion tonnes | +6.3% |
| 2003 | 1.76 billion tonnes | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 1.84 billion tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 1.93 billion tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 1.98 billion tonnes | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 2.02 billion tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 2.06 billion tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 2.11 billion tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 2.15 billion tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 2.17 billion tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 2.20 billion tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 2.22 billion tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 2.24 billion tonnes | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 2.25 billion tonnes | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 2.27 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 2.28 billion tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 2.29 billion tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 2.30 billion tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 2.31 billion tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 2.32 billion tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 2.33 billion tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 2.34 billion tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 2.35 billion tonnes | +0.3% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 2.35 billion tonnes is above the median for low income countries, which is 1.53 billion tonnes, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 2.35 billion tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.56 billion tonnes, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | +139.5% | 32.01 million tonnes | 76.65 million tonnes |
| 1852 | +67.2% | 76.65 million tonnes | 128.12 million tonnes |
| 1853 | +43.8% | 128.12 million tonnes | 184.21 million tonnes |
| 1854 | +30.5% | 184.21 million tonnes | 240.43 million tonnes |
| 1855 | +25.9% | 240.43 million tonnes | 302.71 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 281.14 million tonnes | 32.01 million tonnes | 560.13 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 661.84 million tonnes | 595.83 million tonnes | 702.71 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 727.69 million tonnes | 708.04 million tonnes | 744.78 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 761.87 million tonnes | 747.97 million tonnes | 775.12 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 787.78 million tonnes | 777.62 million tonnes | 797.59 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 807.36 million tonnes | 799.52 million tonnes | 814.93 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 819.20 million tonnes | 816.01 million tonnes | 821.64 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 852.83 million tonnes | 824.93 million tonnes | 885.68 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 925.48 million tonnes | 892.80 million tonnes | 959.47 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.01 billion tonnes | 967.59 million tonnes | 1.06 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.10 billion tonnes | 1.07 billion tonnes | 1.13 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.17 billion tonnes | 1.13 billion tonnes | 1.20 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.25 billion tonnes | 1.21 billion tonnes | 1.29 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.35 billion tonnes | 1.29 billion tonnes | 1.39 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.43 billion tonnes | 1.40 billion tonnes | 1.46 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.84 billion tonnes | 1.50 billion tonnes | 2.11 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.24 billion tonnes | 2.15 billion tonnes | 2.30 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.33 billion tonnes | 2.31 billion tonnes | 2.35 billion tonnes | 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 cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change in Sierra Leone?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change in Sierra Leone was 2.35 billion tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 2.35 billion tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.01 million tonnes in 1850.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change?
- Sierra Leone ranks 62nd out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from land-use change since the first year of available data, measured in tonnes.