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Environment · Sub-Saharan Africa · Low income

Democratic Republic of the Congo: environment and emissions

CO₂ per person is 0.06 t (2024), 193rd of 203 in the world and 46th of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GHG per person is 0.54 t (2024), 196th of 203 in the world and 47th of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GHG emissions is 58.5 Mt (2024), 71st of 203 in the world and 9th of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

CO₂ per person0.06 t2024 · world 193/203 · region 46/47GHG per person0.54 t2024 · world 196/203 · region 47/47GHG emissions58.5 Mt2024 · world 71/203 · region 9/47CO₂ emissions6.2 Mt2024 · world 130/203 · region 21/47
CO₂ per person
Democratic Republic of the C…Sub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeWorld
0.02.04.06.0199520002005201020152020Democratic Republic of the Congo0.06 tSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeWorld
GHG per person
Democratic Republic of the C…Sub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeWorld
0.02.04.06.08.0199520002005201020152020Democratic Republic of the Congo0.54 tSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeWorld
15 indicators

Environment: Democratic Republic of the Congo in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Sub-Saharan Africa; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
CO₂ per personCO₂ emissions per capita, tonnes0.06 t2024193/20346/470.04 t0.04 t0.05 t+20%since 20140.70 t0.30 t4.69 t
GHG per personGreenhouse gas emissions per person, t CO₂e0.54 t2024196/20347/470.52 t0.42 t0.52 t+3.0%since 20141.91 t1.43 t6.36 t
GHG emissionsTotal greenhouse gas emissions excl. land use, Mt CO₂e58.5 Mt202471/2039/4726.3 Mt28.8 Mt49.6 Mt+44%since 20142,444.8 Mt1,053.9 Mt53,206.4 Mt
CO₂ emissionsCO₂ emissions, total excl. land use, Mt6.2 Mt2024130/20321/471.9 Mt2.9 Mt4.6 Mt+67%since 2014896.3 Mt224.0 Mt39,632.7 Mt
MethaneMethane emissions, Mt CO₂e42.2 Mt202444/2038/4715.9 Mt18.8 Mt35.9 Mt+43%since 20141,179.9 Mt619.9 Mt9,536.5 Mt
Renewable energyRenewable energy, % of final energy consumption96.3%20211/2121/4897.9%96.8%96.2%+0.1 ppsince 201170.3%74.6%19.7%
Renewable powerRenewable electricity, % of output90.4%202115/2067/4899.5%199994.8%95.4%−0.4 ppsince 201132.6%59.1%27.8%
PM2.5 exposurePM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure, µg/m³35.8 µg/m³202331/20014/4837.3 µg/m³39.9 µg/m³36.2 µg/m³−13%since 201335.4 µg/m³31.3 µg/m³32.9 µg/m³
Forest coverForest area, % of land area61.5%202429/2147/4867.8%64.9%62.0%−1.6 ppsince 201425.7%19.9%31.1%
FarmlandAgricultural land, % of land area16.2%2024163/21044/4811.5%13.7%15.5%+1.6 ppsince 201444.7%42.1%36.9%
Arable landArable land, % of land area7.3%2024120/20630/483.2%5.2%6.6%+1.4 ppsince 201410.0%9.4%10.7%
Protected areasTerrestrial and marine protected areas, % of territory14.9%202588/21323/48··13.8%+2.3 ppsince 201514.0%10.3%17.0%
Water withdrawalsFreshwater withdrawals, % of internal resources0.1%2022173/17744/470.1%0.1%0.1%±0.0 ppsince 20123.4%5.1%9.0%
Freshwater per personRenewable internal freshwater per person, m³8,789 m³202252/18311/4717,819 m³13,127 m³9,376 m³−28%since 20123,162 m³3,260 m³5,393 m³
Cereal yieldCereal yield, kg per hectare872 kg/ha2024166/17936/46787 kg/ha785 kg/ha877 kg/ha+13%since 20141,453 kg/ha1,345 kg/ha4,229 kg/ha
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Democratic Republic of the Congo. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorDemocratic Republic of the CongoTanzaniaUgandaAngolaCameroonZambia
CO₂ per person0.06 t20240.31 t20240.17 t20240.74 t20240.35 t20240.54 t2024
GHG per person0.54 t20241.50 t20241.15 t20241.85 t20241.39 t20241.81 t2024
GHG emissions58.5 Mt2024102.5 Mt202457.3 Mt202469.9 Mt202440.6 Mt202438.5 Mt2024
CO₂ emissions6.2 Mt202421.3 Mt20248.3 Mt202428.1 Mt202410.3 Mt202411.6 Mt2024
Methane42.2 Mt202459.7 Mt202438.2 Mt202434.3 Mt202421.8 Mt202418.3 Mt2024
Renewable energy96.3%202178.3%202190.9%202252.9%202179.2%202183.0%2021
Renewable power90.4%202137.2%202190.0%202191.2%202165.8%202192.0%2021
PM2.5 exposure35.8 µg/m³202320.2 µg/m³202331.2 µg/m³202319.9 µg/m³202355.6 µg/m³202320.2 µg/m³2023
Forest cover61.5%202449.6%202411.9%202451.2%202440.7%202460.5%2024
Tanzania: environmentUganda: environmentAngola: environmentCameroon: environmentZambia: environment
Environment in Sub-Saharan Africaall 48 economies rankedEnvironment: low-income countries25 economies rankedEnvironment: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesDemocratic Republic of the Congo: all key statisticscountry profile