Greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi
Malawi: Greenhouse gas emissions was 25.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
25.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
122nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
27.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2004
All-time low
-1.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1912
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
The most recent figure for greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi is 25.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and up 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi peaked at 27.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2004 and was at its lowest, -1.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1912.
That places Malawi 122nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 2.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 1.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -18.1% |
| 1852 | 1.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.3% |
| 1853 | 1.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.2% |
| 1854 | 1.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.2% |
| 1855 | 1.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.5% |
| 1856 | 1.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.9% |
| 1857 | 1.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.0% |
| 1858 | 985,839 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.9% |
| 1859 | 908,751 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.8% |
| 1860 | 828,679 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.8% |
| 1861 | 757,667 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.6% |
| 1862 | 693,040 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.5% |
| 1863 | 637,879 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.0% |
| 1864 | 588,033 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.8% |
| 1865 | 543,779 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.5% |
| 1866 | 503,157 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.5% |
| 1867 | 465,327 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.5% |
| 1868 | 431,822 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.2% |
| 1869 | 400,642 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.2% |
| 1870 | 363,878 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.2% |
| 1871 | 329,689 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.4% |
| 1872 | 299,140 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.3% |
| 1873 | 272,109 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.0% |
| 1874 | 279,130 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1875 | 292,198 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.7% |
| 1876 | 294,164 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1877 | 288,277 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 1878 | 277,994 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 1879 | 268,176 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.5% |
| 1880 | 345,463 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +28.8% |
| 1881 | 406,065 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +17.5% |
| 1882 | 454,196 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.9% |
| 1883 | 475,052 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 1884 | 445,768 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.2% |
| 1885 | 439,817 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 1886 | 447,232 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1887 | 461,073 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1888 | 478,091 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1889 | 491,212 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1890 | 424,317 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.6% |
| 1891 | 298,663 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -29.6% |
| 1892 | 198,389 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -33.6% |
| 1893 | 114,324 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -42.4% |
| 1894 | 42,744 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -62.6% |
| 1895 | 17,612 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -58.8% |
| 1896 | -20,183 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -214.6% |
| 1897 | -64,668 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +220.4% |
| 1898 | -118,982 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +84.0% |
| 1899 | -167,431 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +40.7% |
| 1900 | -267,989 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +60.1% |
| 1901 | -293,275 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.4% |
| 1902 | -390,735 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +33.2% |
| 1903 | -621,742 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +59.1% |
| 1904 | -205,354 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -67.0% |
| 1905 | -639,941 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +211.6% |
| 1906 | -677,028 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.8% |
| 1907 | -613,274 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.4% |
| 1908 | -745,017 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +21.5% |
| 1909 | -1.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +40.9% |
| 1910 | -828,250 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -21.1% |
| 1911 | -957,468 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +15.6% |
| 1912 | -1.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.2% |
| 1913 | -876,700 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -18.4% |
| 1914 | -1.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.4% |
| 1915 | -928,394 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.4% |
| 1916 | -690,139 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -25.7% |
| 1917 | -669,417 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.0% |
| 1918 | -612,063 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.6% |
| 1919 | -532,627 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.0% |
| 1920 | 349,226 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -165.6% |
| 1921 | 1.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +211.1% |
| 1922 | 1.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +27.7% |
| 1923 | 2.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +47.5% |
| 1924 | 2.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.4% |
| 1925 | 2.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +31.6% |
| 1926 | 3.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.5% |
| 1927 | 3.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.6% |
| 1928 | 3.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1929 | 3.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.8% |
| 1930 | 3.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.3% |
| 1931 | 4.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.2% |
| 1932 | 4.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1933 | 4.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.1% |
| 1934 | 5.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.6% |
| 1935 | 4.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1936 | 5.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.6% |
| 1937 | 5.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 1938 | 5.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1939 | 5.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 1940 | 6.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.5% |
| 1941 | 6.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.3% |
| 1942 | 6.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.0% |
| 1943 | 7.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1944 | 7.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.0% |
| 1945 | 7.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 1946 | 8.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1947 | 8.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1948 | 8.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1949 | 8.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
| 1950 | 16.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +94.4% |
| 1951 | 14.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.3% |
| 1952 | 12.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.5% |
| 1953 | 11.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.0% |
| 1954 | 11.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.7% |
| 1955 | 12.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.8% |
| 1956 | 12.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 1957 | 12.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1958 | 12.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.2% |
| 1959 | 11.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1960 | 14.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +17.9% |
| 1961 | 17.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +26.8% |
| 1962 | 17.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 1963 | 17.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 25.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +43.9% |
| 1965 | 25.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
| 1966 | 18.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -27.6% |
| 1967 | 19.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.3% |
| 1968 | 19.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.8% |
| 1969 | 15.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -20.7% |
| 1970 | 20.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +35.4% |
| 1971 | 20.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 19.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.7% |
| 1973 | 15.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -21.0% |
| 1974 | 13.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -15.0% |
| 1975 | 10.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -17.3% |
| 1976 | 11.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1977 | 11.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.6% |
| 1978 | 11.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.2% |
| 1979 | 7.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -33.5% |
| 1980 | 11.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +48.9% |
| 1981 | 13.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +22.0% |
| 1982 | 10.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -25.8% |
| 1983 | 9.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.1% |
| 1984 | 9.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 13.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +41.0% |
| 1986 | 12.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -11.2% |
| 1987 | 10.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.6% |
| 1988 | 12.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +16.7% |
| 1989 | 14.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +18.3% |
| 1990 | 17.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +17.7% |
| 1991 | 14.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -15.8% |
| 1992 | 11.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -22.7% |
| 1993 | 7.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -34.4% |
| 1994 | 15.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +119.2% |
| 1995 | 18.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +15.8% |
| 1996 | 18.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 23.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +25.2% |
| 1998 | 24.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.8% |
| 1999 | 23.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 23.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 20.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -13.0% |
| 2002 | 23.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +15.8% |
| 2003 | 21.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.0% |
| 2004 | 27.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +24.7% |
| 2005 | 27.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 24.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.1% |
| 2007 | 26.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.2% |
| 2008 | 25.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 21.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -18.5% |
| 2010 | 19.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.7% |
| 2011 | 19.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 19.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 22.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.5% |
| 2014 | 22.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 22.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 22.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 23.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 24.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.5% |
| 2019 | 26.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.8% |
| 2020 | 26.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 23.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -11.4% |
| 2022 | 25.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.4% |
| 2023 | 25.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 25.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 25.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is below the median for low income countries, which is 52.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 48% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 25.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 41.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 60% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where 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 | -220.4% | -20,183 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -64,668 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1896 | -214.6% | 17,612 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -20,183 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1921 | +211.1% | 349,226 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1905 | -211.6% | -205,354 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -639,941 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1920 | +165.6% | -532,627 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 349,226 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1994 | +119.2% | 7.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 15.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 1.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 908,751 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 585,002 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 400,642 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 828,679 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 296,476 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 268,176 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 363,878 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 444,397 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 345,463 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 491,212 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 72,478 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -167,431 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 424,317 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | -550,436 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -205,354 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | -817,233 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -532,627 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 2.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 349,226 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 4.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 7.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 6.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 12.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 16.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 19.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 25.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 14.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 7.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 20.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 7.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 24.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 20.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 27.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 19.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 26.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 23.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 26.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 119 Yemen 26.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 120 Bosnia and Herzegovina 26.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 121 Botswana 26.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 123 Liberia 24.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 124 Kyrgyzstan 22.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 125 Croatia 22.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents 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 greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi?
- Greenhouse gas emissions in Malawi was 25.00 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 27.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2004.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1912.
- How does Malawi rank for greenhouse gas emissions?
- Malawi ranks 122nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.8%. 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) – 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.