Greenhouse gas emissions in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Greenhouse gas emissions was 680.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
680.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
11th
of 199 countries
All-time high
917.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2011
All-time low
-19.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1911
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Greenhouse gas emissions in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
In 2024, greenhouse gas emissions in Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 680.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
That represents a change of down 2.6% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 917.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2011 and was at its lowest, -19.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1911.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 11th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Greenhouse gas emissions in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 27.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 18.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -31.4% |
| 1852 | 15.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -16.5% |
| 1853 | 14.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.0% |
| 1854 | 13.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.6% |
| 1855 | 12.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.8% |
| 1856 | 11.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.1% |
| 1857 | 11.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1858 | 11.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.4% |
| 1859 | 11.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1860 | 21.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +97.0% |
| 1861 | 30.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +41.8% |
| 1862 | 35.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.6% |
| 1863 | 37.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 1864 | 41.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.2% |
| 1865 | 43.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.0% |
| 1866 | 45.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1867 | 49.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.0% |
| 1868 | 51.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.9% |
| 1869 | 50.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.5% |
| 1870 | 54.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.5% |
| 1871 | 59.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.5% |
| 1872 | 61.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1873 | 67.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.3% |
| 1874 | 64.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.8% |
| 1875 | 66.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.1% |
| 1876 | 73.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.3% |
| 1877 | 76.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.8% |
| 1878 | 71.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.0% |
| 1879 | 73.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1880 | 63.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.6% |
| 1881 | 55.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.4% |
| 1882 | 53.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.1% |
| 1883 | 52.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 1884 | 47.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.3% |
| 1885 | 48.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1886 | 48.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1887 | 45.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.4% |
| 1888 | 46.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1889 | 45.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.6% |
| 1890 | 28.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -36.2% |
| 1891 | 20.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -27.0% |
| 1892 | 15.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -28.3% |
| 1893 | 12.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -17.1% |
| 1894 | 9.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -23.7% |
| 1895 | 7.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -23.5% |
| 1896 | 4.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -37.2% |
| 1897 | 2.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -41.5% |
| 1898 | 420,076 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -84.3% |
| 1899 | -1.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -341.7% |
| 1900 | -2.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +167.6% |
| 1901 | -4.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +78.0% |
| 1902 | -7.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +48.5% |
| 1903 | -8.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +24.9% |
| 1904 | -10.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +20.6% |
| 1905 | -12.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.8% |
| 1906 | -14.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.5% |
| 1907 | -15.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.7% |
| 1908 | -17.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.5% |
| 1909 | -18.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.1% |
| 1910 | -18.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1911 | -19.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 1912 | -19.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1913 | -19.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1914 | -19.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1915 | -19.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1916 | -19.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.3% |
| 1917 | -19.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.1% |
| 1918 | -17.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.8% |
| 1919 | -18.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.4% |
| 1920 | 11.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -161.2% |
| 1921 | 23.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +100.1% |
| 1922 | 34.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +48.0% |
| 1923 | 40.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.6% |
| 1924 | 44.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.3% |
| 1925 | 49.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.9% |
| 1926 | 54.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.8% |
| 1927 | 58.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.2% |
| 1928 | 62.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 1929 | 67.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.7% |
| 1930 | 71.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 1931 | 74.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.0% |
| 1932 | 76.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1933 | 78.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1934 | 80.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1935 | 83.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.0% |
| 1936 | 86.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.5% |
| 1937 | 89.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1938 | 91.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1939 | 92.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.6% |
| 1940 | 111.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +20.1% |
| 1941 | 121.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.9% |
| 1942 | 128.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.8% |
| 1943 | 134.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 1944 | 139.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1945 | 143.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1946 | 152.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.8% |
| 1947 | 158.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1948 | 163.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1949 | 165.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1950 | 189.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.9% |
| 1951 | 208.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.9% |
| 1952 | 220.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.7% |
| 1953 | 229.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.2% |
| 1954 | 255.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.3% |
| 1955 | 269.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.6% |
| 1956 | 282.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.9% |
| 1957 | 302.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.8% |
| 1958 | 323.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.1% |
| 1959 | 325.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1960 | 450.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +38.2% |
| 1961 | 308.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -31.5% |
| 1962 | 244.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -20.7% |
| 1963 | 189.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -22.7% |
| 1964 | 163.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.4% |
| 1965 | 148.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.5% |
| 1966 | 143.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.4% |
| 1967 | 139.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 1968 | 138.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1969 | 138.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 146.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.7% |
| 1971 | 125.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.8% |
| 1972 | 126.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 129.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 123.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.9% |
| 1975 | 127.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1976 | 128.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 129.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 126.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.6% |
| 1979 | 142.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.3% |
| 1980 | 145.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 137.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.1% |
| 1982 | 146.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.3% |
| 1983 | 148.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 149.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 147.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 142.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.7% |
| 1987 | 146.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 139.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.7% |
| 1989 | 146.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 164.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.6% |
| 1991 | 164.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 157.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.4% |
| 1993 | 187.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +19.6% |
| 1994 | 196.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 1995 | 202.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 199.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 237.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +19.0% |
| 1998 | 245.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 252.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 254.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 224.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -11.8% |
| 2002 | 220.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 241.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.7% |
| 2004 | 226.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.5% |
| 2005 | 223.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 233.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 234.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 470.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +100.9% |
| 2009 | 692.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +47.1% |
| 2010 | 808.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.8% |
| 2011 | 917.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.4% |
| 2012 | 876.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 900.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 782.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.1% |
| 2015 | 661.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -15.6% |
| 2016 | 703.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.4% |
| 2017 | 730.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 630.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.7% |
| 2019 | 571.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.3% |
| 2020 | 603.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.5% |
| 2021 | 748.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +24.0% |
| 2022 | 771.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 698.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.4% |
| 2024 | 680.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.6% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 680.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for low income countries, which is 52.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 13.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 680.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 41.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 16.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Greenhouse gas emissions 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1899 | -341.7% | 420,076 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1900 | -167.6% | -1.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1920 | +161.2% | -18.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 2008 | +100.9% | 234.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 470.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1921 | +100.1% | 11.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 23.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1860 | +97.0% | 11.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 21.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 14.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 27.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 40.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 21.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 51.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 66.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 54.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 76.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 50.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 45.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 63.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 10.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 28.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | -11.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -18.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | -19.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -19.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -17.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 44.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 67.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 82.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 71.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 92.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 141.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 111.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 165.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 260.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 189.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 325.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 206.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 138.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 450.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 130.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 123.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 146.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 145.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 137.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 149.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 200.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 157.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 252.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 302.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 220.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 692.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 758.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 571.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 917.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 700.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 603.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 771.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 8 Japan 1.01 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 9 Saudi Arabia 821.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 10 Canada 802.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 12 Turkey 680.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 13 Germany 659.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 14 Mexico 635.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
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 greenhouse gas emissions in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Greenhouse gas emissions in Democratic Republic of Congo was 680.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 917.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2011.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was -19.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1911.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for greenhouse gas emissions?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 11th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of 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 of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.