Methane emissions by sector in Ghana
Ghana: Methane emissions by sector was 20,000 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
20,000 tonnes
Change on year
down 50.0%
World rank
54th
of 193 countries
All-time high
1.17 million tonnes
in 1998
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 2009
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Methane 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, methane emissions by sector in Ghana stood at 20,000 tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 50.0% on the previous year and up 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions by sector in Ghana peaked at 1.17 million tonnes in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2009.
That places Ghana 54th 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.
Methane emissions by sector in Ghana, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 129,999 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 129,999 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 129,999 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 129,999 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 129,999 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 129,999 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 129,999 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 450,000 tonnes | +246.2% |
| 1998 | 1.17 million tonnes | +160.0% |
| 1999 | 660,000 tonnes | -43.6% |
| 2000 | 730,000 tonnes | +10.6% |
| 2001 | 40,000 tonnes | -94.5% |
| 2002 | 10,000 tonnes | -75.0% |
| 2003 | 10,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 10,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 10,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 40,000 tonnes | +300.0% |
| 2007 | 30,000 tonnes | -25.0% |
| 2008 | 10,000 tonnes | -66.7% |
| 2009 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2010 | 10,000 tonnes | — |
| 2011 | 20,000 tonnes | +100.0% |
| 2012 | 20,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 10,000 tonnes | -50.0% |
| 2014 | 10,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 10,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 40,000 tonnes | +300.0% |
| 2017 | 10,000 tonnes | -75.0% |
| 2018 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2019 | 30,000 tonnes | — |
| 2020 | 129,999 tonnes | +333.3% |
| 2021 | 10,000 tonnes | -92.3% |
| 2022 | 40,000 tonnes | +300.0% |
| 2023 | 20,000 tonnes | -50.0% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 20,000 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10,000 tonnes, 2.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 20,000 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10,000 tonnes, 2.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 318,999 tonnes | 129,999 tonnes | 1.17 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 89,000 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 730,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,000 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 40,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 50,000 tonnes | 10,000 tonnes | 129,999 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 methane emissions by sector in Ghana?
- Methane emissions by sector in Ghana was 20,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest methane emissions by sector recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 1.17 million tonnes in 1998.
- What is the lowest methane emissions by sector recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2009.
- How does Ghana rank for methane emissions by sector?
- Ghana ranks 54th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is methane emissions by sector rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Methane 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.