Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Malawi
Malawi: Nitrous oxide emissions by sector was 5.87 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
5.87 million tonnes
Change on year
up 31.3%
World rank
62nd
of 193 countries
All-time high
5.87 million tonnes
in 2023
All-time low
810,000 tonnes
in 1994
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Malawi, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Malawi is 5.87 million tonnes, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 31.3% on the previous year and up 142.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Malawi peaked at 5.87 million tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 810,000 tonnes, in 1994.
That places Malawi 62nd 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.
Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 970,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 1.07 million tonnes | +10.3% |
| 1992 | 1.08 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 1.10 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 810,000 tonnes | -26.4% |
| 1995 | 970,000 tonnes | +19.8% |
| 1996 | 1.06 million tonnes | +9.3% |
| 1997 | 1.08 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 1.13 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 1999 | 1.10 million tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 1.18 million tonnes | +7.3% |
| 2001 | 1.03 million tonnes | -12.7% |
| 2002 | 1.28 million tonnes | +24.3% |
| 2003 | 1.37 million tonnes | +7.0% |
| 2004 | 1.39 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 1.41 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 1.58 million tonnes | +12.1% |
| 2007 | 1.75 million tonnes | +10.8% |
| 2008 | 1.95 million tonnes | +11.4% |
| 2009 | 1.90 million tonnes | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 2.25 million tonnes | +18.4% |
| 2011 | 2.30 million tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 2.32 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 2.42 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 2.78 million tonnes | +14.9% |
| 2015 | 2.88 million tonnes | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 2.76 million tonnes | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 3.06 million tonnes | +10.9% |
| 2018 | 3.75 million tonnes | +22.5% |
| 2019 | 4.29 million tonnes | +14.4% |
| 2020 | 4.57 million tonnes | +6.5% |
| 2021 | 4.52 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 4.47 million tonnes | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 5.87 million tonnes | +31.3% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 5.87 million tonnes is above the median for low income countries, which is 5.66 million tonnes, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 5.87 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.80 million tonnes, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.04 million tonnes | 810,000 tonnes | 1.13 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.48 million tonnes | 1.03 million tonnes | 1.95 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.88 million tonnes | 2.25 million tonnes | 4.29 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.86 million tonnes | 4.47 million tonnes | 5.87 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 59 Guinea 6.18 million tonnes compare
- 60 Central African Republic 6.13 million tonnes compare
- 61 Netherlands 5.96 million tonnes compare
- 63 Turkmenistan 5.67 million tonnes compare
- 64 Madagascar 5.66 million tonnes compare
- 65 Somalia 5.47 million tonnes compare
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 nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Malawi?
- Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in Malawi was 5.87 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest nitrous oxide emissions by sector recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 5.87 million tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest nitrous oxide emissions by sector recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 810,000 tonnes in 1994.
- How does Malawi rank for nitrous oxide emissions by sector?
- Malawi ranks 62nd out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrous oxide emissions by sector rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 142.6%. 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 Nitrous oxide 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.