Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi
Malawi: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 110,000 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi, 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 Malawi stood at 110,000 tonnes. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 37.5% on the previous year and up 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi peaked at 110,000 tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 1996.
That places Malawi 109th out of 179 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 50,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 80,000 tonnes | +60.0% |
| 1992 | 80,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 30,000 tonnes | -62.5% |
| 1994 | 30,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 30,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 1997 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1998 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1999 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2000 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2001 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2002 | 50,000 tonnes | — |
| 2003 | 70,000 tonnes | +40.0% |
| 2004 | 80,000 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 2005 | 80,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 80,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 80,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 80,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 80,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 80,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 90,000 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 2012 | 90,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 90,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 70,000 tonnes | -22.2% |
| 2015 | 70,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 60,000 tonnes | -14.3% |
| 2017 | 60,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 80,000 tonnes | +33.3% |
| 2019 | 80,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 90,000 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 2021 | 40,000 tonnes | -55.6% |
| 2022 | 80,000 tonnes | +100.0% |
| 2023 | 110,000 tonnes | +37.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 110,000 tonnes is above the median for low income countries, which is 110,000 tonnes, 1.0× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 110,000 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 80,000 tonnes, 1.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30,000 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 80,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 60,000 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 80,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 77,000 tonnes | 60,000 tonnes | 90,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 80,000 tonnes | 40,000 tonnes | 110,000 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 greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi?
- Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi was 110,000 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 110,000 tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 1996.
- How does Malawi rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Malawi ranks 109th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 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.