Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Kenya
Kenya: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions was 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
175th
of 199 countries
All-time high
7.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1960
All-time low
0.7596 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1909
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Kenya, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person.
Analysis
In 2024, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Kenya stood at 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person.
The figure is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Kenya peaked at 7.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1960 and was at its lowest, 0.7596 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1909.
Kenya ranks 175th of 199 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 greenhouse gas emissions in Kenya, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 1.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1852 | 1.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1853 | 1.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.7% |
| 1854 | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.0% |
| 1855 | 1.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1856 | 2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.2% |
| 1857 | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.0% |
| 1858 | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1859 | 1.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.1% |
| 1860 | 1.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1861 | 1.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.1% |
| 1862 | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.2% |
| 1863 | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.3% |
| 1864 | 1.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1865 | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1866 | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 1867 | 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1868 | 1.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1869 | 1.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.4% |
| 1870 | 1.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 1871 | 1.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1872 | 1.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1873 | 1.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.2% |
| 1874 | 1.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1875 | 1.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.6% |
| 1876 | 1.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 1877 | 1.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.4% |
| 1878 | 2.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 1879 | 1.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.2% |
| 1880 | 2.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.0% |
| 1881 | 2.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.1% |
| 1882 | 2.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1883 | 1.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.5% |
| 1884 | 1.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1885 | 1.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1886 | 1.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1887 | 1.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1888 | 2.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.0% |
| 1889 | 2.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1890 | 1.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -20.2% |
| 1891 | 1.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -11.9% |
| 1892 | 1.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.4% |
| 1893 | 1.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.4% |
| 1894 | 1.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.7% |
| 1895 | 1.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.2% |
| 1896 | 1.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.8% |
| 1897 | 1.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.4% |
| 1898 | 1.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.5% |
| 1899 | 0.9895 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.2% |
| 1900 | 0.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.0% |
| 1901 | 0.9145 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.7% |
| 1902 | 0.8961 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 1903 | 0.8697 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1904 | 0.8407 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.3% |
| 1905 | 0.8156 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
| 1906 | 0.8092 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1907 | 0.7731 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.5% |
| 1908 | 0.7631 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1909 | 0.7596 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 1910 | 0.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1911 | 0.8562 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.8% |
| 1912 | 0.9499 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.9% |
| 1913 | 1.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.8% |
| 1914 | 1.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.6% |
| 1915 | 1.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.7% |
| 1916 | 1.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.3% |
| 1917 | 1.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.3% |
| 1918 | 1.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1919 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1920 | 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +62.5% |
| 1921 | 2.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +20.4% |
| 1922 | 2.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +12.2% |
| 1923 | 3.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.5% |
| 1924 | 3.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1925 | 3.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1926 | 3.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.9% |
| 1927 | 3.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 1928 | 3.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.1% |
| 1929 | 3.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1930 | 3.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1931 | 3.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1932 | 3.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1933 | 3.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1934 | 3.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1935 | 3.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1936 | 3.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 1937 | 3.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1938 | 3.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1939 | 3.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1940 | 4.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.3% |
| 1941 | 4.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.1% |
| 1942 | 4.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 1943 | 4.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1944 | 4.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 1945 | 4.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1946 | 5.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1947 | 5.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.6% |
| 1948 | 5.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1949 | 5.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1950 | 5.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.5% |
| 1951 | 5.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.9% |
| 1952 | 6.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1953 | 6.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 1954 | 6.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1955 | 6.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1956 | 6.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1957 | 6.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 6.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.4% |
| 1959 | 6.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1960 | 7.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +26.3% |
| 1961 | 6.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -20.9% |
| 1962 | 5.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -16.5% |
| 1963 | 4.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.1% |
| 1964 | 4.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.8% |
| 1965 | 3.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.3% |
| 1966 | 3.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.8% |
| 1967 | 3.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.9% |
| 1968 | 3.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 1969 | 3.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 1970 | 2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.8% |
| 1971 | 2.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 2.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.3% |
| 1973 | 2.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
| 1974 | 4.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +58.4% |
| 1975 | 3.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -16.5% |
| 1976 | 3.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -13.7% |
| 1977 | 2.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.9% |
| 1978 | 2.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 2.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 2.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 2.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.7% |
| 1982 | 2.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 2.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 4.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +64.5% |
| 1985 | 3.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -18.1% |
| 1986 | 3.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.1% |
| 1987 | 3.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 4.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +14.9% |
| 1989 | 3.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.7% |
| 1990 | 3.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -11.3% |
| 1991 | 2.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.6% |
| 1992 | 2.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.7% |
| 1993 | 2.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.9% |
| 1994 | 2.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.8% |
| 1995 | 1.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -13.7% |
| 1996 | 1.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 1.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.2% |
| 1998 | 2.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +18.3% |
| 1999 | 1.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.3% |
| 2000 | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.3% |
| 2001 | 1.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.7% |
| 2002 | 1.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 1.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 1.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 1.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 1.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 2.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +21.8% |
| 2008 | 2.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 2.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 2.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.5% |
| 2011 | 2.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 2.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.8% |
| 2013 | 1.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.9% |
| 2014 | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 1.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 2017 | 1.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.3% |
| 2018 | 1.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 1.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.3% |
| 2021 | 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.3% |
| 2022 | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 61% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 66% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Kenya 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | +64.5% | 2.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1920 | +62.5% | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1974 | +58.4% | 2.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 1.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 1.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 1.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 2.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.9895 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.8392 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7596 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 3.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 3.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 4.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 6.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.51 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 172 Sri Lanka 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 173 Micronesia (country) 1.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 174 Djibouti 1.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 176 Mozambique 1.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 177 Nigeria 1.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 178 Macao 1.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
More climate change data for Kenya
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 276.34 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 50,641 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 16,186 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,454 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 61.08 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,231 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,372 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,116 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 255.67 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.99 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Kenya?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Kenya was 1.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 7.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1960.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7596 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1909.
- How does Kenya rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions?
- Kenya ranks 175th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita greenhouse gas emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes per person of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.