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Environment · Sub-Saharan Africa · Low income

Malawi: environment and emissions

CO₂ per person is 0.22 t (2024), 179th of 203 in the world and 32nd of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GHG per person is 0.88 t (2024), 186th of 203 in the world and 42nd of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GHG emissions is 19.0 Mt (2024), 122nd of 203 in the world and 26th of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

CO₂ per person0.22 t2024 · world 179/203 · region 32/47GHG per person0.88 t2024 · world 186/203 · region 42/47GHG emissions19.0 Mt2024 · world 122/203 · region 26/47CO₂ emissions4.8 Mt2024 · world 138/203 · region 26/47
CO₂ per person
MalawiSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeWorld
0.02.04.06.0199520002005201020152020Malawi0.22 tSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeWorld
GHG per person
MalawiSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeWorld
0.02.04.06.08.0199520002005201020152020Malawi0.88 tSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeWorld
15 indicators

Environment: Malawi 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, tonnes0.22 t2024179/20332/470.27 t0.30 t0.27 t−26%since 20140.70 t0.30 t4.69 t
GHG per personGreenhouse gas emissions per person, t CO₂e0.88 t2024186/20342/470.72 t0.77 t0.90 t+9.0%since 20141.91 t1.43 t6.36 t
GHG emissionsTotal greenhouse gas emissions excl. land use, Mt CO₂e19.0 Mt2024122/20326/478.1 Mt11.5 Mt17.6 Mt+42%since 20142,444.8 Mt1,053.9 Mt53,206.4 Mt
CO₂ emissionsCO₂ emissions, total excl. land use, Mt4.8 Mt2024138/20326/473.1 Mt4.5 Mt5.2 Mt−3.6%since 2014896.3 Mt224.0 Mt39,632.7 Mt
MethaneMethane emissions, Mt CO₂e9.3 Mt2024104/20326/473.9 Mt5.1 Mt8.3 Mt+55%since 20141,179.9 Mt619.9 Mt9,536.5 Mt
Renewable energyRenewable energy, % of final energy consumption62.9%202233/21229/4882.6%81.2%71.5%−17.3 ppsince 201270.3%74.6%19.7%
Renewable powerRenewable electricity, % of output80.1%202129/20613/4893.2%98.9%79.3%−18.7 ppsince 201132.6%59.1%27.8%
PM2.5 exposurePM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure, µg/m³16.7 µg/m³2023104/20039/4818.7 µg/m³21.2 µg/m³16.4 µg/m³−12%since 201335.4 µg/m³31.3 µg/m³32.9 µg/m³
Forest coverForest area, % of land area22.0%2024127/21425/4832.7%28.2%23.8%−4.5 ppsince 201425.7%19.9%31.1%
FarmlandAgricultural land, % of land area65.0%202433/21015/4850.2%58.1%64.3%+5.2 ppsince 201444.7%42.1%36.9%
Arable landArable land, % of land area42.4%202412/2066/4829.2%37.1%41.7%+4.2 ppsince 201410.0%9.4%10.7%
Protected areasTerrestrial and marine protected areas, % of territory23.1%202549/21312/48··22.9%+6.2 ppsince 201514.0%10.3%17.0%
Water withdrawalsFreshwater withdrawals, % of internal resources8.4%202294/17716/477.7%8.4%8.4%±0.0 ppsince 20123.4%5.1%9.0%
Freshwater per personRenewable internal freshwater per person, m³785 m³2022140/18335/471,426 m³1,089 m³826 m³−24%since 20123,162 m³3,260 m³5,393 m³
Cereal yieldCereal yield, kg per hectare1,878 kg/ha2024126/17911/461,676 kg/ha1,907 kg/ha2,004 kg/ha−15%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

Malawi and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Malawi. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorMalawiTanzaniaMozambiqueZambia
CO₂ per person0.22 t20240.31 t20240.29 t20240.54 t2024
GHG per person0.88 t20241.50 t20240.97 t20241.81 t2024
GHG emissions19.0 Mt2024102.5 Mt202433.6 Mt202438.5 Mt2024
CO₂ emissions4.8 Mt202421.3 Mt202410.1 Mt202411.6 Mt2024
Methane9.3 Mt202459.7 Mt202418.7 Mt202418.3 Mt2024
Renewable energy62.9%202278.3%202176.9%202183.0%2021
Renewable power80.1%202137.2%202182.7%202192.0%2021
PM2.5 exposure16.7 µg/m³202320.2 µg/m³202313.7 µg/m³202320.2 µg/m³2023
Forest cover22.0%202449.6%202441.3%202460.5%2024
Tanzania: environmentMozambique: environmentZambia: environment
Environment in Sub-Saharan Africaall 48 economies rankedEnvironment: low-income countries25 economies rankedEnvironment: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesMalawi: all key statisticscountry profile