Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi
Malawi: Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 1.42 kilograms per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi, 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 Malawi is 1.42 kilograms per person, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 2.5% on the previous year and up 14.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi peaked at 2.46 kilograms per person in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0 kilograms per person, in 1999.
Malawi ranks 180th of 191 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 greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi, year by year
| Year | kilograms per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.1 kilograms per person | — |
| 1991 | 2.03 kilograms per person | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 1.97 kilograms per person | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 1.94 kilograms per person | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 1.97 kilograms per person | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 1.97 kilograms per person | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 1.93 kilograms per person | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 1.89 kilograms per person | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 1.85 kilograms per person | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 0 kilograms per person | -100.0% |
| 2000 | 1.77 kilograms per person | — |
| 2001 | 1.73 kilograms per person | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 0.8417 kilograms per person | -51.2% |
| 2003 | 2.46 kilograms per person | +192.6% |
| 2004 | 1.6 kilograms per person | -35.0% |
| 2005 | 1.56 kilograms per person | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 2.27 kilograms per person | +45.9% |
| 2007 | 2.21 kilograms per person | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 2.15 kilograms per person | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 1.39 kilograms per person | -35.3% |
| 2010 | 2.02 kilograms per person | +45.6% |
| 2011 | 1.97 kilograms per person | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 1.27 kilograms per person | -35.2% |
| 2013 | 1.24 kilograms per person | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 1.2 kilograms per person | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 1.17 kilograms per person | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 1.14 kilograms per person | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 1.11 kilograms per person | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 1.08 kilograms per person | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 0.5256 kilograms per person | -51.3% |
| 2020 | 0.5119 kilograms per person | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 0.9976 kilograms per person | +94.9% |
| 2022 | 1.46 kilograms per person | +46.2% |
| 2023 | 1.42 kilograms per person | -2.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1.42 kilograms per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 5.46 kilograms per person, 26% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1.42 kilograms per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.55 kilograms per person, 12% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +192.6% | 0.8417 kilograms per person | 2.46 kilograms per person |
| 2021 | +94.9% | 0.5119 kilograms per person | 0.9976 kilograms per person |
| 1999 | -100.0% | 1.85 kilograms per person | 0 kilograms per person |
| 2022 | +46.2% | 0.9976 kilograms per person | 1.46 kilograms per person |
| 2019 | -51.3% | 1.08 kilograms per person | 0.5256 kilograms per person |
| 2002 | -51.2% | 1.73 kilograms per person | 0.8417 kilograms per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.77 kilograms per person | 0 kilograms per person | 2.1 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.8 kilograms per person | 0.8417 kilograms per person | 2.46 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.27 kilograms per person | 0.5256 kilograms per person | 2.02 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1 kilograms per person | 0.5119 kilograms per person | 1.46 kilograms per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 177 Cameroon 1.76 kilograms per person compare
- 178 Democratic Republic of Congo 1.51 kilograms per person compare
- 179 Burundi 1.46 kilograms per person compare
- 181 Sierra Leone 1.18 kilograms per person compare
- 182 Haiti 0.8593 kilograms per person compare
- 183 Afghanistan 0.7237 kilograms 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 by sector in Malawi?
- Per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Malawi was 1.42 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 2.46 kilograms per person in 2003.
- What is the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 kilograms per person in 1999.
- How does Malawi rank for per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Malawi ranks 180th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 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.