Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Malawi

Malawi: Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector was 3.32 kilograms per person in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
3.32 kilograms per person
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
171st
of 187 countries
All-time high
10.86 kilograms per person
in 1999
All-time low
0 kilograms per person
in 2015
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector in Malawi, 1990–2023

02.557.5101990200620231990: 3.1 kilograms per person1991: 5.1 kilograms per person1992: 4.9 kilograms per person1993: 4.9 kilograms per person1994: 5.9 kilograms per person1995: 5.9 kilograms per person1996: 5.8 kilograms per person1997: 5.7 kilograms per person1998: 7.4 kilograms per person1999: 10.9 kilograms per person2000: 7.1 kilograms per person2001: 4.3 kilograms per person2002: 5.1 kilograms per person2003: 4.9 kilograms per person2004: 5.6 kilograms per person2005: 4.7 kilograms per person2006: 4.5 kilograms per person2007: 3.7 kilograms per person2008: 3.6 kilograms per person2009: 2.8 kilograms per person2010: 2.7 kilograms per person2011: 2 kilograms per person2012: 1.3 kilograms per person2013: 0.619 kilograms per person2014: 0.602 kilograms per person2015: 0 kilograms per person2016: 0.57 kilograms per person2017: 0 kilograms per person2018: 0.54 kilograms per person2019: 0.526 kilograms per person2020: 3.1 kilograms per person2021: 3 kilograms per person2022: 3.4 kilograms per person2023: 3.3 kilograms per person

Source: Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per person.

Analysis

Malawi recorded 3.32 kilograms per person for per capita co₂ emissions by sector in 2023.

That represents a change of down 2.5% on the previous year and up 436.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Malawi peaked at 10.86 kilograms per person in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0 kilograms per person, in 2015.

That places Malawi 171st out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 5.96 kilograms per person 3.14 kilograms per person 10.86 kilograms per person 10
2000s 4.62 kilograms per person 2.78 kilograms per person 7.07 kilograms per person 10
2010s 0.8792 kilograms per person 0 kilograms per person 2.7 kilograms per person 10
2020s 3.2 kilograms per person 2.99 kilograms per person 3.4 kilograms per person 4

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 168 Mozambique 4.76 kilograms per person compare
  2. 169 Ethiopia 4.43 kilograms per person compare
  3. 170 Zambia 3.38 kilograms per person compare
  4. 172 Uganda 2.67 kilograms per person compare
  5. 173 South Sudan 2.61 kilograms per person compare
  6. 174 Mali 2.1 kilograms per person compare

See the full ranking of 187 places →

More climate change data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Malawi?
Per capita co₂ emissions by sector in Malawi was 3.32 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 Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 10.86 kilograms per person in 1999.
What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 0 kilograms per person in 2015.
How does Malawi rank for per capita co₂ emissions by sector?
Malawi ranks 171st out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
Is per capita co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 436.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malawi 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

Indicator
Per capita CO₂ emissions by sector
Unit
kilograms per person
Source
Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
187 places, 6,310 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Emissions are measured in kilograms per person.