Per capita CO₂ emissions including land-use change in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Per capita CO₂ emissions including land-use change was 1.11 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.11 tonnes per person
Change on year
down 3.6%
World rank
161st
of 194 countries
All-time high
20.01 tonnes per person
in 2002
All-time low
1.11 tonnes per person
in 2024
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Per capita CO₂ emissions including land-use change in Sierra Leone, 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
Sierra Leone recorded 1.11 tonnes per person for per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 75 years on record.
The figure is down 3.6% on the previous year and down 57.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change in Sierra Leone peaked at 20.01 tonnes per person in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.11 tonnes per person, in 2024.
Sierra Leone ranks 161st of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Per capita CO₂ emissions including land-use change in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5.63 tonnes per person | — |
| 1951 | 4.74 tonnes per person | -15.9% |
| 1952 | 3.85 tonnes per person | -18.7% |
| 1953 | 3.35 tonnes per person | -13.0% |
| 1954 | 3.05 tonnes per person | -8.8% |
| 1955 | 2.89 tonnes per person | -5.4% |
| 1956 | 2.85 tonnes per person | -1.4% |
| 1957 | 2.75 tonnes per person | -3.4% |
| 1958 | 2.54 tonnes per person | -7.7% |
| 1959 | 2.46 tonnes per person | -3.3% |
| 1960 | 2.63 tonnes per person | +7.1% |
| 1961 | 2.98 tonnes per person | +13.2% |
| 1962 | 3.25 tonnes per person | +9.0% |
| 1963 | 3.28 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 3.25 tonnes per person | -1.1% |
| 1965 | 3.27 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 3.27 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 3.61 tonnes per person | +10.4% |
| 1968 | 3.3 tonnes per person | -8.5% |
| 1969 | 3.52 tonnes per person | +6.5% |
| 1970 | 3.4 tonnes per person | -3.3% |
| 1971 | 3.2 tonnes per person | -6.1% |
| 1972 | 3.1 tonnes per person | -2.9% |
| 1973 | 2.98 tonnes per person | -4.0% |
| 1974 | 2.9 tonnes per person | -2.7% |
| 1975 | 2.82 tonnes per person | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 2.73 tonnes per person | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 3.03 tonnes per person | +11.0% |
| 1978 | 3.16 tonnes per person | +4.4% |
| 1979 | 2.89 tonnes per person | -8.8% |
| 1980 | 2.69 tonnes per person | -6.7% |
| 1981 | 3.14 tonnes per person | +16.6% |
| 1982 | 2.71 tonnes per person | -13.6% |
| 1983 | 3.16 tonnes per person | +16.4% |
| 1984 | 5.61 tonnes per person | +77.6% |
| 1985 | 3.75 tonnes per person | -33.1% |
| 1986 | 3.16 tonnes per person | -15.7% |
| 1987 | 2.62 tonnes per person | -17.2% |
| 1988 | 2.26 tonnes per person | -13.8% |
| 1989 | 2.03 tonnes per person | -10.1% |
| 1990 | 1.85 tonnes per person | -8.8% |
| 1991 | 1.64 tonnes per person | -11.4% |
| 1992 | 1.5 tonnes per person | -8.7% |
| 1993 | 1.44 tonnes per person | -3.8% |
| 1994 | 1.46 tonnes per person | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 1.39 tonnes per person | -4.8% |
| 1996 | 1.36 tonnes per person | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 1.39 tonnes per person | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 1.51 tonnes per person | +8.5% |
| 1999 | 2.05 tonnes per person | +36.3% |
| 2000 | 9.41 tonnes per person | +358.6% |
| 2001 | 14.82 tonnes per person | +57.5% |
| 2002 | 20.01 tonnes per person | +35.0% |
| 2003 | 18.48 tonnes per person | -7.6% |
| 2004 | 14.46 tonnes per person | -21.8% |
| 2005 | 17.49 tonnes per person | +20.9% |
| 2006 | 8.59 tonnes per person | -50.9% |
| 2007 | 7.32 tonnes per person | -14.8% |
| 2008 | 7.05 tonnes per person | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 7.36 tonnes per person | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 6.59 tonnes per person | -10.5% |
| 2011 | 4.13 tonnes per person | -37.3% |
| 2012 | 4.56 tonnes per person | +10.5% |
| 2013 | 3.24 tonnes per person | -28.8% |
| 2014 | 2.62 tonnes per person | -19.3% |
| 2015 | 2.24 tonnes per person | -14.3% |
| 2016 | 2.16 tonnes per person | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 1.93 tonnes per person | -10.7% |
| 2018 | 1.63 tonnes per person | -15.3% |
| 2019 | 1.54 tonnes per person | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 1.44 tonnes per person | -6.5% |
| 2021 | 1.32 tonnes per person | -8.3% |
| 2022 | 1.23 tonnes per person | -6.7% |
| 2023 | 1.15 tonnes per person | -6.2% |
| 2024 | 1.11 tonnes per person | -3.6% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 1.11 tonnes per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 1.11 tonnes per person, 100% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 1.11 tonnes per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.42 tonnes per person, 78% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita CO₂ emissions including land-use change in Sierra Leone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +358.6% | 2.05 tonnes per person | 9.41 tonnes per person |
| 1984 | +77.6% | 3.16 tonnes per person | 5.61 tonnes per person |
| 2001 | +57.5% | 9.41 tonnes per person | 14.82 tonnes per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.41 tonnes per person | 2.46 tonnes per person | 5.63 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.24 tonnes per person | 2.63 tonnes per person | 3.61 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.02 tonnes per person | 2.73 tonnes per person | 3.4 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.11 tonnes per person | 2.03 tonnes per person | 5.61 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.56 tonnes per person | 1.36 tonnes per person | 2.05 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.5 tonnes per person | 7.05 tonnes per person | 20.01 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.06 tonnes per person | 1.54 tonnes per person | 6.59 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.25 tonnes per person | 1.11 tonnes per person | 1.44 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 158 Mozambique 1.13 tonnes per person compare
- 159 Sao Tome and Principe 1.13 tonnes per person compare
- 160 Madagascar 1.11 tonnes per person compare
- 162 Mauritania 1.08 tonnes per person compare
- 163 Senegal 1.08 tonnes per person compare
- 164 Syria 1.03 tonnes per person compare
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 per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change in Sierra Leone?
- Per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change in Sierra Leone was 1.11 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 including land-use change recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 20.01 tonnes per person in 2002.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.11 tonnes per person in 2024.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change?
- Sierra Leone ranks 161st out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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 including land-use change. 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), including land-use change, measured in tonnes per person.