Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Ghana
Ghana: Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector was 14.8 kilograms per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Ghana, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Ghana is 14.8 kilograms per person, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 42.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Ghana peaked at 32.58 kilograms per person in 2009 and was at its lowest, 13.24 kilograms per person, in 2000.
Ghana ranks 159th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Ghana, year by year
| Year | kilograms per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 27.93 kilograms per person | — |
| 1991 | 18.37 kilograms per person | -34.2% |
| 1992 | 20.39 kilograms per person | +11.0% |
| 1993 | 19.89 kilograms per person | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 22.36 kilograms per person | +12.4% |
| 1995 | 24.71 kilograms per person | +10.5% |
| 1996 | 27.51 kilograms per person | +11.3% |
| 1997 | 27.96 kilograms per person | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 30.5 kilograms per person | +9.1% |
| 1999 | 30.81 kilograms per person | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 13.24 kilograms per person | -57.0% |
| 2001 | 20.33 kilograms per person | +53.5% |
| 2002 | 14.95 kilograms per person | -26.4% |
| 2003 | 23.01 kilograms per person | +53.9% |
| 2004 | 23.32 kilograms per person | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 20.49 kilograms per person | -12.1% |
| 2006 | 18.66 kilograms per person | -8.9% |
| 2007 | 26.22 kilograms per person | +40.5% |
| 2008 | 16.08 kilograms per person | -38.7% |
| 2009 | 32.58 kilograms per person | +102.6% |
| 2010 | 23.16 kilograms per person | -28.9% |
| 2011 | 27.21 kilograms per person | +17.5% |
| 2012 | 29.92 kilograms per person | +10.0% |
| 2013 | 25.56 kilograms per person | -14.6% |
| 2014 | 22.11 kilograms per person | -13.5% |
| 2015 | 24.39 kilograms per person | +10.3% |
| 2016 | 24.19 kilograms per person | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 19.33 kilograms per person | -20.1% |
| 2018 | 19.91 kilograms per person | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 20.15 kilograms per person | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 21.95 kilograms per person | +8.9% |
| 2021 | 22.45 kilograms per person | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 14.78 kilograms per person | -34.2% |
| 2023 | 14.8 kilograms per person | +0.1% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 14.8 kilograms per person is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 53.95 kilograms per person, 27% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 14.8 kilograms per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.63 kilograms per person, 79% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Ghana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +102.6% | 16.08 kilograms per person | 32.58 kilograms per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.04 kilograms per person | 18.37 kilograms per person | 30.81 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.89 kilograms per person | 13.24 kilograms per person | 32.58 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.59 kilograms per person | 19.33 kilograms per person | 29.92 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.5 kilograms per person | 14.78 kilograms per person | 22.45 kilograms per person | 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 per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Ghana?
- Per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Ghana was 14.8 kilograms per person in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 32.58 kilograms per person in 2009.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.24 kilograms per person in 2000.
- How does Ghana rank for per capita co₂ emissions by sector?
- Ghana ranks 159th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita CO₂ 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 kilograms per person.