Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 4.11 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
4.11 million tonnes
Change on year
up 10.2%
World rank
115th
of 193 countries
All-time high
4.47 million tonnes
in 2018
All-time low
1.29 million tonnes
in 2000
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Sierra Leone, 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 Sierra Leone is 4.11 million tonnes, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.2% on the previous year and up 9.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Sierra Leone peaked at 4.47 million tonnes in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.29 million tonnes, in 2000.
Sierra Leone ranks 115th of 193 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 Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.10 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 2.06 million tonnes | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 2.07 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 2.15 million tonnes | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 2.10 million tonnes | -2.3% |
| 1995 | 1.98 million tonnes | -5.7% |
| 1996 | 1.65 million tonnes | -16.7% |
| 1997 | 1.64 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 1.55 million tonnes | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 1.37 million tonnes | -11.6% |
| 2000 | 1.29 million tonnes | -5.8% |
| 2001 | 1.50 million tonnes | +16.3% |
| 2002 | 1.80 million tonnes | +20.0% |
| 2003 | 2.21 million tonnes | +22.8% |
| 2004 | 2.54 million tonnes | +14.9% |
| 2005 | 2.75 million tonnes | +8.3% |
| 2006 | 3.63 million tonnes | +32.0% |
| 2007 | 2.92 million tonnes | -19.6% |
| 2008 | 2.67 million tonnes | -8.6% |
| 2009 | 2.91 million tonnes | +9.0% |
| 2010 | 2.89 million tonnes | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 3.20 million tonnes | +10.7% |
| 2012 | 3.86 million tonnes | +20.6% |
| 2013 | 3.74 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 3.97 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 3.82 million tonnes | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 3.92 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 3.83 million tonnes | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 4.47 million tonnes | +16.7% |
| 2019 | 3.36 million tonnes | -24.8% |
| 2020 | 3.44 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 4.30 million tonnes | +25.0% |
| 2022 | 3.73 million tonnes | -13.3% |
| 2023 | 4.11 million tonnes | +10.2% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 4.11 million tonnes is below the median for low income countries, which is 16.07 million tonnes, 26% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 4.11 million tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.69 million tonnes, 35% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.87 million tonnes | 1.37 million tonnes | 2.15 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.42 million tonnes | 1.29 million tonnes | 3.63 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.71 million tonnes | 2.89 million tonnes | 4.47 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.90 million tonnes | 3.44 million tonnes | 4.30 million tonnes | 4 |
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 greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Sierra Leone?
- Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Sierra Leone was 4.11 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 Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 4.47 million tonnes in 2018.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.29 million tonnes in 2000.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Sierra Leone ranks 115th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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.