Per capita methane emissions by sector in Malawi
Malawi: Per capita methane emissions by sector was 0.9477 kilograms per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Per capita methane 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
Malawi recorded 0.9477 kilograms per person for per capita methane emissions by sector in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 48.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita methane emissions by sector in Malawi peaked at 3.53 kilograms per person in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.9477 kilograms per person, in 2023.
Malawi ranks 130th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Per capita methane 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 | 2.84 kilograms per person | +47.0% |
| 1998 | 2.78 kilograms per person | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 2.72 kilograms per person | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 3.53 kilograms per person | +30.2% |
| 2001 | 1.73 kilograms per person | -51.2% |
| 2002 | 2.53 kilograms per person | +46.4% |
| 2003 | 3.28 kilograms per person | +30.0% |
| 2004 | 1.6 kilograms per person | -51.3% |
| 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 | 2.08 kilograms per person | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 2.7 kilograms per person | +29.5% |
| 2011 | 2.62 kilograms per person | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 1.91 kilograms per person | -27.1% |
| 2013 | 1.86 kilograms per person | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 1.8 kilograms per person | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 1.76 kilograms per person | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 1.14 kilograms per person | -35.1% |
| 2017 | 1.66 kilograms per person | +46.0% |
| 2018 | 1.08 kilograms per person | -35.1% |
| 2019 | 1.05 kilograms per person | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 1.02 kilograms per person | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 0.9976 kilograms per person | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 0.9724 kilograms per person | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 0.9477 kilograms per person | -2.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 0.9477 kilograms per person is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.3206 kilograms per person, 3.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 0.9477 kilograms per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.5123 kilograms per person, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita methane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | +47.0% | 1.93 kilograms per person | 2.84 kilograms per person |
| 2002 | +46.4% | 1.73 kilograms per person | 2.53 kilograms per person |
| 2004 | -51.3% | 3.28 kilograms per person | 1.6 kilograms per person |
| 2001 | -51.2% | 3.53 kilograms per person | 1.73 kilograms per person |
| 2017 | +46.0% | 1.14 kilograms per person | 1.66 kilograms per person |
| 2006 | +45.9% | 1.56 kilograms per person | 2.27 kilograms per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.23 kilograms per person | 1.93 kilograms per person | 2.84 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.29 kilograms per person | 1.56 kilograms per person | 3.53 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.76 kilograms per person | 1.05 kilograms per person | 2.7 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9854 kilograms per person | 0.9477 kilograms per person | 1.02 kilograms per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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 methane emissions by sector in Malawi?
- Per capita methane emissions by sector in Malawi was 0.9477 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 methane emissions by sector recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 3.53 kilograms per person in 2000.
- What is the lowest per capita methane emissions by sector recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9477 kilograms per person in 2023.
- How does Malawi rank for per capita methane emissions by sector?
- Malawi ranks 130th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita methane emissions by sector rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.9%. 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 methane 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.