Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi
Malawi: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions was 1.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
down 5.3%
World rank
191st
of 199 countries
All-time high
6.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1964
All-time low
-0.5643 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1912
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi, 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
Malawi recorded 1.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person for per capita greenhouse gas emissions in 2024.
That represents a change of down 5.3% on the previous year and down 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi peaked at 6.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1964 and was at its lowest, -0.5643 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 1912.
That places Malawi 191st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 0.9108 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -18.8% |
| 1852 | 0.7958 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -12.6% |
| 1853 | 0.7146 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.2% |
| 1854 | 0.6703 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.2% |
| 1855 | 0.5998 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.5% |
| 1856 | 0.5466 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.9% |
| 1857 | 0.503 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.0% |
| 1858 | 0.4582 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.9% |
| 1859 | 0.4225 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.8% |
| 1860 | 0.3854 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.8% |
| 1861 | 0.3525 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.5% |
| 1862 | 0.3227 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.5% |
| 1863 | 0.2972 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.9% |
| 1864 | 0.2741 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.8% |
| 1865 | 0.2537 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.5% |
| 1866 | 0.2349 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.4% |
| 1867 | 0.2174 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.5% |
| 1868 | 0.2019 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.1% |
| 1869 | 0.1874 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.1% |
| 1870 | 0.1704 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.1% |
| 1871 | 0.1545 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.3% |
| 1872 | 0.1404 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.2% |
| 1873 | 0.1278 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.9% |
| 1874 | 0.1313 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1875 | 0.1376 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.8% |
| 1876 | 0.1387 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1877 | 0.1361 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 1878 | 0.1314 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.5% |
| 1879 | 0.1268 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.5% |
| 1880 | 0.1633 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +28.8% |
| 1881 | 0.1919 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +17.5% |
| 1882 | 0.2144 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.7% |
| 1883 | 0.2238 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.4% |
| 1884 | 0.2096 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.3% |
| 1885 | 0.2065 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 1886 | 0.2096 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1887 | 0.2156 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1888 | 0.2232 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.5% |
| 1889 | 0.2292 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1890 | 0.198 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -13.6% |
| 1891 | 0.1396 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -29.5% |
| 1892 | 0.093 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -33.4% |
| 1893 | 0.0538 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -42.2% |
| 1894 | 0.0202 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -62.5% |
| 1895 | 0.0083 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -58.6% |
| 1896 | -0.0096 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -215.0% |
| 1897 | -0.0309 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +221.6% |
| 1898 | -0.057 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +84.7% |
| 1899 | -0.0806 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +41.4% |
| 1900 | -0.1296 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +60.9% |
| 1901 | -0.1427 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.1% |
| 1902 | -0.1915 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +34.2% |
| 1903 | -0.3071 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +60.4% |
| 1904 | -0.1022 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -66.7% |
| 1905 | -0.321 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +214.0% |
| 1906 | -0.3422 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.6% |
| 1907 | -0.3124 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.7% |
| 1908 | -0.3824 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +22.4% |
| 1909 | -0.5427 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +41.9% |
| 1910 | -0.4307 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -20.6% |
| 1911 | -0.5006 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +16.2% |
| 1912 | -0.5643 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +12.7% |
| 1913 | -0.4621 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -18.1% |
| 1914 | -0.5305 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +14.8% |
| 1915 | -0.493 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.1% |
| 1916 | -0.3678 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -25.4% |
| 1917 | -0.3581 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.6% |
| 1918 | -0.3287 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.2% |
| 1919 | -0.2861 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -13.0% |
| 1920 | 0.1869 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -165.3% |
| 1921 | 0.5773 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +208.8% |
| 1922 | 0.7293 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +26.3% |
| 1923 | 1.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +45.3% |
| 1924 | 1.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.8% |
| 1925 | 1.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +29.7% |
| 1926 | 1.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.9% |
| 1927 | 1.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.0% |
| 1928 | 1.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1929 | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.2% |
| 1930 | 1.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.8% |
| 1931 | 2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.7% |
| 1932 | 1.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1933 | 2.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.7% |
| 1934 | 2.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.1% |
| 1935 | 2.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
| 1936 | 2.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.1% |
| 1937 | 2.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 1938 | 2.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1939 | 2.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.1% |
| 1940 | 2.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +6.9% |
| 1941 | 2.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.6% |
| 1942 | 2.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.2% |
| 1943 | 2.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1944 | 2.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.1% |
| 1945 | 2.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.8% |
| 1946 | 2.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 1947 | 3.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1948 | 3.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1949 | 2.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.7% |
| 1950 | 5.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +90.7% |
| 1951 | 4.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -11.9% |
| 1952 | 4.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -14.1% |
| 1953 | 3.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.8% |
| 1954 | 3.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.6% |
| 1955 | 3.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.7% |
| 1956 | 3.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 1957 | 3.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 1958 | 3.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.3% |
| 1959 | 3.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.8% |
| 1960 | 3.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.2% |
| 1961 | 4.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +23.9% |
| 1962 | 4.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.0% |
| 1963 | 4.59 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 1964 | 6.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +40.4% |
| 1965 | 6.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.3% |
| 1966 | 4.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -29.3% |
| 1967 | 4.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.6% |
| 1968 | 4.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.2% |
| 1969 | 3.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -22.6% |
| 1970 | 4.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +32.1% |
| 1971 | 4.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.1% |
| 1972 | 4.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.1% |
| 1973 | 3.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -23.0% |
| 1974 | 2.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -17.3% |
| 1975 | 2.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -19.6% |
| 1976 | 2.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 2.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.3% |
| 1978 | 1.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.4% |
| 1979 | 1.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -35.9% |
| 1980 | 1.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +43.2% |
| 1981 | 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +17.3% |
| 1982 | 1.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -28.6% |
| 1983 | 1.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.7% |
| 1984 | 1.33 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +35.6% |
| 1986 | 1.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -14.4% |
| 1987 | 1.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -17.7% |
| 1988 | 1.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.5% |
| 1989 | 1.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +12.9% |
| 1990 | 1.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.2% |
| 1991 | 1.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -18.4% |
| 1992 | 1.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -24.9% |
| 1993 | 0.7093 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -35.4% |
| 1994 | 1.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +121.8% |
| 1995 | 1.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +15.9% |
| 1996 | 1.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 2.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +22.7% |
| 1998 | 2.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.5% |
| 1999 | 2.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 2000 | 2.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.2% |
| 2001 | 1.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -15.1% |
| 2002 | 1.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.0% |
| 2003 | 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.4% |
| 2004 | 2.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +21.5% |
| 2005 | 2.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 1.85 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -12.5% |
| 2007 | 1.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 1.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 1.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -20.9% |
| 2010 | 1.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -11.3% |
| 2011 | 1.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 1.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 1.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +11.3% |
| 2014 | 1.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 1.3 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.0% |
| 2016 | 1.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 1.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 1.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 1.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 1.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -13.7% |
| 2022 | 1.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.7% |
| 2023 | 1.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 1.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.3% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 1.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 60% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 44% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita greenhouse gas emissions 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | -221.6% | -0.0096 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0309 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1896 | -215.0% | 0.0083 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0096 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1905 | -214.0% | -0.1022 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.321 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1921 | +208.8% | 0.1869 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.5773 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1920 | +165.3% | -0.2861 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.1869 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
| 1994 | +121.8% | 0.7093 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0.6743 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.4225 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.2727 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.1874 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.3854 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.1395 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.1268 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.1704 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.2087 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.1633 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.2292 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.0335 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.0806 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.198 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | -0.2774 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5427 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1022 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | -0.4322 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5643 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2861 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.1869 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.78 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 2.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 4.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 3.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 0.7093 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 2.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.31 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.22 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 1.34 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 188 Sao Tome and Principe 1.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 189 Uganda 1.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 190 Comoros 1.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 192 Gambia 1.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 193 Haiti 1.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 194 Afghanistan 0.9352 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
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 greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi was 1.15 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 6.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1964.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.5643 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1912.
- How does Malawi rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions?
- Malawi ranks 191st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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.