Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 1.51 kilograms per person in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Democratic Republic of Congo, 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 greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Democratic Republic of Congo is 1.51 kilograms per person, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 38.1% on the previous year and down 69.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 11.87 kilograms per person in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.7529 kilograms per person, in 2009.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 178th of 191 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 by sector in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | kilograms per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 11.72 kilograms per person | — |
| 1991 | 11.87 kilograms per person | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 10.96 kilograms per person | -7.6% |
| 1993 | 10.82 kilograms per person | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 8.21 kilograms per person | -24.1% |
| 1995 | 8.1 kilograms per person | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 7.95 kilograms per person | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 8.04 kilograms per person | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 7.82 kilograms per person | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 7.36 kilograms per person | -5.9% |
| 2000 | 4.75 kilograms per person | -35.4% |
| 2001 | 4.8 kilograms per person | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 6.14 kilograms per person | +28.0% |
| 2003 | 6.5 kilograms per person | +6.0% |
| 2004 | 7.19 kilograms per person | +10.6% |
| 2005 | 8.68 kilograms per person | +20.6% |
| 2006 | 10.89 kilograms per person | +25.5% |
| 2007 | 8.64 kilograms per person | -20.6% |
| 2008 | 0.7765 kilograms per person | -91.0% |
| 2009 | 0.7529 kilograms per person | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 6.86 kilograms per person | +810.5% |
| 2011 | 6.63 kilograms per person | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 6.14 kilograms per person | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 4.88 kilograms per person | -20.5% |
| 2014 | 4.34 kilograms per person | -11.2% |
| 2015 | 3.33 kilograms per person | -23.2% |
| 2016 | 3.34 kilograms per person | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 3.22 kilograms per person | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 2.89 kilograms per person | -10.2% |
| 2019 | 4.2 kilograms per person | +45.3% |
| 2020 | 3.13 kilograms per person | -25.5% |
| 2021 | 3.63 kilograms per person | +16.2% |
| 2022 | 2.44 kilograms per person | -32.8% |
| 2023 | 1.51 kilograms per person | -38.1% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 1.51 kilograms per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 5.46 kilograms per person, 28% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 1.51 kilograms per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.55 kilograms per person, 13% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Democratic Republic of Congo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +810.5% | 0.7529 kilograms per person | 6.86 kilograms per person |
| 2008 | -91.0% | 8.64 kilograms per person | 0.7765 kilograms per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.29 kilograms per person | 7.36 kilograms per person | 11.87 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.91 kilograms per person | 0.7529 kilograms per person | 10.89 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.58 kilograms per person | 2.89 kilograms per person | 6.86 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.68 kilograms per person | 1.51 kilograms per person | 3.63 kilograms per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More climate change data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2047 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8778 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.05 °C (2026)
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 4.2% (2100)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 3.25 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 4.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.4511 units per person (2025)
- Precipitation anomalies, annual growth rate 28.16 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Democratic Republic of Congo was 1.51 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 greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 11.87 kilograms per person in 1991.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7529 kilograms per person in 2009.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 178th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 69.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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 greenhouse gas 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 of carbon dioxide-equivalents per person.