Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ghana
Ghana: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 280,000 tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
280,000 tonnes
Change on year
up 3.7%
World rank
93rd
of 179 countries
All-time high
530,000 tonnes
in 2000
All-time low
120,000 tonnes
in 1991
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ghana, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ghana stood at 280,000 tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.7% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ghana peaked at 530,000 tonnes in 2000 and was at its lowest, 120,000 tonnes, in 1991.
Ghana ranks 93rd of 179 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.
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ghana, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 129,999 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 120,000 tonnes | -7.7% |
| 1992 | 150,000 tonnes | +25.0% |
| 1993 | 150,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 170,000 tonnes | +13.3% |
| 1995 | 200,000 tonnes | +17.6% |
| 1996 | 220,000 tonnes | +10.0% |
| 1997 | 220,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 290,000 tonnes | +31.8% |
| 1999 | 330,000 tonnes | +13.8% |
| 2000 | 530,000 tonnes | +60.6% |
| 2001 | 510,000 tonnes | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 170,000 tonnes | -66.7% |
| 2003 | 180,000 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 2004 | 180,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 200,000 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 2006 | 210,000 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2007 | 240,000 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 2008 | 290,000 tonnes | +20.8% |
| 2009 | 320,000 tonnes | +10.3% |
| 2010 | 250,000 tonnes | -21.9% |
| 2011 | 310,000 tonnes | +24.0% |
| 2012 | 370,000 tonnes | +19.4% |
| 2013 | 360,000 tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 230,000 tonnes | -36.1% |
| 2015 | 240,000 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 230,000 tonnes | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 380,000 tonnes | +65.2% |
| 2018 | 360,000 tonnes | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 370,000 tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 410,000 tonnes | +10.8% |
| 2021 | 430,000 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 270,000 tonnes | -37.2% |
| 2023 | 280,000 tonnes | +3.7% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 280,000 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 190,000 tonnes, 1.5× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 280,000 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 80,000 tonnes, 3.5× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 198,000 tonnes | 120,000 tonnes | 330,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 283,000 tonnes | 170,000 tonnes | 530,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 310,000 tonnes | 230,000 tonnes | 380,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 347,500 tonnes | 270,000 tonnes | 430,000 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More climate change data for Ghana
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 63.84 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 6,671 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,693 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,979 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 10.16 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 142.09 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,417 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 670.16 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 746.8 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.53 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ghana?
- Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Ghana was 280,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 530,000 tonnes in 2000.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 120,000 tonnes in 1991.
- How does Ghana rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Ghana ranks 93rd out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Greenhouse gas emissions by sector. 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 of carbon dioxide-equivalents.