Per capita CO₂ emissions by source in Malawi
Malawi: Per capita CO₂ emissions by source was 0.0082 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.0082 tonnes per person
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
119th
of 179 countries
All-time high
0.0898 tonnes per person
in 1956
All-time low
0.0032 tonnes per person
in 1989
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Per capita CO₂ emissions by source in Malawi, 1950–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for per capita co₂ emissions by source in Malawi is 0.0082 tonnes per person, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions by source in Malawi peaked at 0.0898 tonnes per person in 1956 and was at its lowest, 0.0032 tonnes per person, in 1989.
Malawi ranks 119th of 179 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Per capita CO₂ emissions by source in Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0.0623 tonnes per person | — |
| 1951 | 0.0622 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 1952 | 0.0677 tonnes per person | +8.9% |
| 1953 | 0.0709 tonnes per person | +4.7% |
| 1954 | 0.0758 tonnes per person | +6.9% |
| 1955 | 0.0883 tonnes per person | +16.5% |
| 1956 | 0.0898 tonnes per person | +1.7% |
| 1957 | 0.0898 tonnes per person | -0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.0704 tonnes per person | -21.6% |
| 1959 | 0.0833 tonnes per person | +18.3% |
| 1960 | 0.0751 tonnes per person | -9.9% |
| 1961 | 0.0582 tonnes per person | -22.4% |
| 1962 | 0.0527 tonnes per person | -9.5% |
| 1963 | 0.0481 tonnes per person | -8.6% |
| 1964 | 0.0412 tonnes per person | -14.3% |
| 1965 | 0.0438 tonnes per person | +6.3% |
| 1966 | 0.0498 tonnes per person | +13.5% |
| 1967 | 0.0332 tonnes per person | -33.2% |
| 1968 | 0.0288 tonnes per person | -13.3% |
| 1969 | 0.0188 tonnes per person | -34.7% |
| 1970 | 0.0253 tonnes per person | +34.4% |
| 1971 | 0.0254 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 0.0288 tonnes per person | +13.0% |
| 1973 | 0.0298 tonnes per person | +3.7% |
| 1974 | 0.0271 tonnes per person | -9.2% |
| 1975 | 0.0353 tonnes per person | +30.5% |
| 1976 | 0.0303 tonnes per person | -14.3% |
| 1977 | 0.0268 tonnes per person | -11.7% |
| 1978 | 0.0254 tonnes per person | -5.2% |
| 1979 | 0.0151 tonnes per person | -40.4% |
| 1980 | 0.0275 tonnes per person | +81.9% |
| 1981 | 0.0196 tonnes per person | -28.8% |
| 1982 | 0.0238 tonnes per person | +21.6% |
| 1983 | 0.0166 tonnes per person | -30.1% |
| 1984 | 0.015 tonnes per person | -9.8% |
| 1985 | 0.0115 tonnes per person | -23.5% |
| 1986 | 0.0093 tonnes per person | -19.2% |
| 1987 | 0.0088 tonnes per person | -4.7% |
| 1988 | 0.005 tonnes per person | -43.2% |
| 1989 | 0.0032 tonnes per person | -36.4% |
| 1990 | 0.018 tonnes per person | +464.8% |
| 1991 | 0.016 tonnes per person | -11.3% |
| 1992 | 0.0159 tonnes per person | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 0.0164 tonnes per person | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0169 tonnes per person | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 0.0166 tonnes per person | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 0.0173 tonnes per person | +4.4% |
| 1997 | 0.0177 tonnes per person | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 0.0166 tonnes per person | -6.0% |
| 1999 | 0.0133 tonnes per person | -20.3% |
| 2000 | 0.0146 tonnes per person | +9.8% |
| 2001 | 0.0107 tonnes per person | -26.3% |
| 2002 | 0.0151 tonnes per person | +40.6% |
| 2003 | 0.0138 tonnes per person | -8.4% |
| 2004 | 0.0129 tonnes per person | -6.8% |
| 2005 | 0.0123 tonnes per person | -4.9% |
| 2006 | 0.0119 tonnes per person | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 0.0116 tonnes per person | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 0.0107 tonnes per person | -7.7% |
| 2009 | 0.0099 tonnes per person | -8.0% |
| 2010 | 0.0114 tonnes per person | +14.9% |
| 2011 | 0.0142 tonnes per person | +24.6% |
| 2012 | 0.0121 tonnes per person | -14.4% |
| 2013 | 0.012 tonnes per person | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 0.0106 tonnes per person | -11.9% |
| 2015 | 0.0116 tonnes per person | +9.4% |
| 2016 | 0.0103 tonnes per person | -11.4% |
| 2017 | 0.0095 tonnes per person | -6.9% |
| 2018 | 0.0111 tonnes per person | +16.0% |
| 2019 | 0.0111 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 0.0099 tonnes per person | -10.8% |
| 2021 | 0.0066 tonnes per person | -33.7% |
| 2022 | 0.0073 tonnes per person | +10.5% |
| 2023 | 0.0082 tonnes per person | +12.7% |
| 2024 | 0.0082 tonnes per person | -0.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 0.0082 tonnes per person is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.0011 tonnes per person, 7.3× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 0.0082 tonnes per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0024 tonnes per person, 3.4× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita CO₂ emissions by source in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +464.8% | 0.0032 tonnes per person | 0.018 tonnes per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.076 tonnes per person | 0.0622 tonnes per person | 0.0898 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.045 tonnes per person | 0.0188 tonnes per person | 0.0751 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0269 tonnes per person | 0.0151 tonnes per person | 0.0353 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.014 tonnes per person | 0.0032 tonnes per person | 0.0275 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0165 tonnes per person | 0.0133 tonnes per person | 0.018 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0124 tonnes per person | 0.0099 tonnes per person | 0.0151 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0114 tonnes per person | 0.0095 tonnes per person | 0.0142 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.008 tonnes per person | 0.0066 tonnes per person | 0.0099 tonnes per person | 5 |
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 per capita co₂ emissions by source in Malawi?
- Per capita co₂ emissions by source in Malawi was 0.0082 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita co₂ emissions by source recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0898 tonnes per person in 1956.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions by source recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0032 tonnes per person in 1989.
- How does Malawi rank for per capita co₂ emissions by source?
- Malawi ranks 119th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions by source rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita CO₂ emissions by source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured in tonnes per person.