Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi
Malawi: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 10.67 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
10.67 million tonnes
Change on year
up 17.8%
World rank
79th
of 193 countries
All-time high
10.67 million tonnes
in 2023
All-time low
1.95 million tonnes
in 1994
Years of data
34
1990–2023
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 10.67 million tonnes. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 17.8% on the previous year and up 115.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi peaked at 10.67 million tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.95 million tonnes, in 1994.
That places Malawi 79th out of 193 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 | 2.22 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 2.31 million tonnes | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 2.31 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 2.35 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 1.95 million tonnes | -17.0% |
| 1995 | 2.13 million tonnes | +9.2% |
| 1996 | 2.28 million tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1997 | 2.25 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 2.42 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1999 | 2.37 million tonnes | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 2.52 million tonnes | +6.3% |
| 2001 | 2.35 million tonnes | -6.7% |
| 2002 | 2.64 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 2003 | 2.82 million tonnes | +6.8% |
| 2004 | 2.79 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 2.89 million tonnes | +3.6% |
| 2006 | 3.09 million tonnes | +6.9% |
| 2007 | 3.41 million tonnes | +10.4% |
| 2008 | 3.79 million tonnes | +11.1% |
| 2009 | 3.81 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 4.39 million tonnes | +15.2% |
| 2011 | 4.53 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 4.73 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 4.95 million tonnes | +4.7% |
| 2014 | 5.45 million tonnes | +10.1% |
| 2015 | 5.76 million tonnes | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 5.82 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 6.22 million tonnes | +6.9% |
| 2018 | 7.33 million tonnes | +17.8% |
| 2019 | 8.40 million tonnes | +14.6% |
| 2020 | 8.84 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 8.96 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 9.06 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 10.67 million tonnes | +17.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 10.67 million tonnes is below the median for low income countries, which is 16.07 million tonnes, 66% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 10.67 million tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.69 million tonnes, 91% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.26 million tonnes | 1.95 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.01 million tonnes | 2.35 million tonnes | 3.81 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.76 million tonnes | 4.39 million tonnes | 8.40 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.38 million tonnes | 8.84 million tonnes | 10.67 million 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 10.67 million 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 10.67 million tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.95 million tonnes in 1994.
- How does Malawi rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Malawi ranks 79th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 115.6%. 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.