Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Kenya
Kenya: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 300,000 tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
300,000 tonnes
Change on year
up 25.0%
World rank
89th
of 179 countries
All-time high
400,000 tonnes
in 1998
All-time low
110,000 tonnes
in 2009
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Kenya, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Kenya is 300,000 tonnes, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 25.0% on the previous year and up 130.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Kenya peaked at 400,000 tonnes in 1998 and was at its lowest, 110,000 tonnes, in 2009.
Kenya ranks 89th of 179 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Kenya, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 390,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 180,000 tonnes | -53.8% |
| 1992 | 310,000 tonnes | +72.2% |
| 1993 | 360,000 tonnes | +16.1% |
| 1994 | 340,000 tonnes | -5.6% |
| 1995 | 320,000 tonnes | -5.9% |
| 1996 | 380,000 tonnes | +18.8% |
| 1997 | 340,000 tonnes | -10.5% |
| 1998 | 400,000 tonnes | +17.6% |
| 1999 | 330,000 tonnes | -17.5% |
| 2000 | 330,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 320,000 tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 270,000 tonnes | -15.6% |
| 2003 | 210,000 tonnes | -22.2% |
| 2004 | 220,000 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 140,000 tonnes | -36.4% |
| 2006 | 140,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 220,000 tonnes | +57.1% |
| 2008 | 150,000 tonnes | -31.8% |
| 2009 | 110,000 tonnes | -26.7% |
| 2010 | 150,000 tonnes | +36.4% |
| 2011 | 129,999 tonnes | -13.3% |
| 2012 | 110,000 tonnes | -15.4% |
| 2013 | 129,999 tonnes | +18.2% |
| 2014 | 160,000 tonnes | +23.1% |
| 2015 | 150,000 tonnes | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 170,000 tonnes | +13.3% |
| 2017 | 230,000 tonnes | +35.3% |
| 2018 | 240,000 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 160,000 tonnes | -33.3% |
| 2020 | 180,000 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 2021 | 220,000 tonnes | +22.2% |
| 2022 | 240,000 tonnes | +9.1% |
| 2023 | 300,000 tonnes | +25.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 300,000 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 190,000 tonnes, 1.6× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 300,000 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 80,000 tonnes, 3.8× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 335,000 tonnes | 180,000 tonnes | 400,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 211,000 tonnes | 110,000 tonnes | 330,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 163,000 tonnes | 110,000 tonnes | 240,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 235,000 tonnes | 180,000 tonnes | 300,000 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More climate change data for Kenya
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 276.34 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 50,641 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 16,186 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,454 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 61.08 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,231 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,372 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,116 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 255.67 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.99 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Kenya?
- Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Kenya was 300,000 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 400,000 tonnes in 1998.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 110,000 tonnes in 2009.
- How does Kenya rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Kenya ranks 89th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 130.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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.