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Environment · World Bank income group

Environment in low-income countries: how the countries rank

Emissions, renewable energy, forests, farmland and water use. 15 indicators for the 25 economies in the low income group, ranked within the group; the group figure is the World Bank aggregate.

CO₂ per person0.30 tlow-income countries, 2024 · world 4.69 tGHG per person1.43 tlow-income countries, 2024 · world 6.36 tGHG emissions1,053.9 Mtlow-income countries, 2024 · world 53,206.4 MtCO₂ emissions224.0 Mtlow-income countries, 2024 · world 39,632.7 MtMethane619.9 Mtlow-income countries, 2024 · world 9,536.5 MtRenewable energy74.6%low-income countries, 2020 · world 19.7%Renewable power59.1%low-income countries, 2021 · world 27.8%PM2.5 exposure31.3 µg/m³low-income countries, 2023 · world 32.9 µg/m³
CO₂ per person
low-income countriesWorldlower-middle-income countriesupper-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
0.05.01015199520002005201020152020low-income countries0.30 tWorldlower-middle-income countriesupper-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
GHG per person
low-income countriesWorldlower-middle-income countriesupper-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
0.05.0101520199520002005201020152020low-income countries1.43 tWorldlower-middle-income countriesupper-middle-income countrieshigh-income countries
countries

All 25 economies, environment

Latest value and rank within the group (small figure). Click a column to sort; the country name opens its environment profile.

25 shown
CountryCO₂ per personGHG per personGHG emissionsCO₂ emissionsMethaneRenewable energyRenewable powerPM2.5 exposure
North Korea2.50 t#1 · 20243.44 t#2 · 202491.3 Mt#4 · 202466.2 Mt#1 · 202420.1 Mt#11 · 202414.7%#23 · 202163.1%#9 · 202121.8 µg/m³#20 · 2023
Syria1.27 t#2 · 20241.91 t#6 · 202447.2 Mt#8 · 202431.4 Mt#2 · 20246.4 Mt#17 · 20241.1%#25 · 20213.4%#23 · 202132.1 µg/m³#15 · 2023
Sudan0.43 t#3 · 20242.75 t#3 · 2024138.7 Mt#2 · 202421.9 Mt#3 · 202484.9 Mt#2 · 202461.0%#19 · 202161.1%#12 · 202137.6 µg/m³#6 · 2023
Mali0.30 t#4 · 20241.96 t#5 · 202448.0 Mt#7 · 20247.4 Mt#9 · 202429.4 Mt#6 · 202471.1%#16 · 202262.3%#10 · 202135.5 µg/m³#11 · 2023
Mozambique0.29 t#5 · 20240.97 t#15 · 202433.6 Mt#13 · 202410.1 Mt#7 · 202418.7 Mt#12 · 202476.9%#13 · 202182.7%#5 · 202113.7 µg/m³#24 · 2023
Afghanistan0.28 t#6 · 20240.77 t#20 · 202433.0 Mt#14 · 202412.1 Mt#5 · 202416.2 Mt#13 · 202420.0%#22 · 202278.2%#7 · 202137.9 µg/m³#5 · 2023
Burkina Faso0.27 t#7 · 20241.48 t#10 · 202434.9 Mt#11 · 20246.5 Mt#10 · 202421.0 Mt#10 · 202471.4%#15 · 202213.9%#16 · 202137.3 µg/m³#7 · 2023
Yemen0.26 t#8 · 20240.81 t#18 · 202432.9 Mt#15 · 202410.6 Mt#6 · 202411.8 Mt#14 · 20243.7%#24 · 202110.3%#18 · 202146.8 µg/m³#2 · 2023
Malawi0.22 t#9 · 20240.88 t#17 · 202419.0 Mt#16 · 20244.8 Mt#12 · 20249.3 Mt#15 · 202462.9%#18 · 202280.1%#6 · 202116.7 µg/m³#23 · 2023
Eritrea0.22 t#10 · 20241.86 t#7 · 20246.6 Mt#21 · 20240.8 Mt#21 · 20244.5 Mt#21 · 202480.7%#10 · 20215.0%#22 · 202133.7 µg/m³#12 · 2023
The Gambia0.18 t#11 · 20240.67 t#21 · 20241.9 Mt#24 · 20240.5 Mt#22 · 20241.2 Mt#24 · 202447.7%#20 · 20221.6%#24 · 202138.3 µg/m³#4 · 2023
Sierra Leone0.17 t#12 · 20240.92 t#16 · 20247.9 Mt#20 · 20241.5 Mt#17 · 20245.6 Mt#19 · 202471.6%#14 · 202275.3%#8 · 202122.5 µg/m³#19 · 2023
Uganda0.17 t#13 · 20241.15 t#13 · 202457.3 Mt#6 · 20248.3 Mt#8 · 202438.2 Mt#5 · 202490.9%#5 · 202290.0%#4 · 202131.2 µg/m³#16 · 2023
Rwanda0.16 t#14 · 20240.59 t#23 · 20248.3 Mt#19 · 20242.3 Mt#16 · 20244.7 Mt#20 · 202479.9%#11 · 202259.9%#13 · 202136.0 µg/m³#8 · 2023
Guinea-Bissau0.16 t#15 · 20241.45 t#12 · 20243.2 Mt#23 · 20240.3 Mt#23 · 20242.3 Mt#23 · 202487.4%#7 · 20227.1%#19 · 202132.3 µg/m³#14 · 2023
Liberia0.15 t#16 · 20240.79 t#19 · 20244.5 Mt#22 · 20240.9 Mt#19 · 20243.1 Mt#22 · 202492.8%#3 · 202257.4%#14 · 202117.9 µg/m³#22 · 2023
Ethiopia0.15 t#17 · 20241.46 t#11 · 2024192.7 Mt#1 · 202419.4 Mt#4 · 2024131.6 Mt#1 · 202490.6%#6 · 202195.3%#2 · 202023.8 µg/m³#17 · 2023
Madagascar0.15 t#18 · 20241.12 t#14 · 202435.8 Mt#10 · 20244.7 Mt#13 · 202425.4 Mt#9 · 202483.1%#8 · 202234.1%#15 · 202112.4 µg/m³#25 · 2023
Chad0.14 t#19 · 20244.98 t#1 · 2024101.2 Mt#3 · 20242.9 Mt#15 · 202475.1 Mt#3 · 202470.0%#17 · 20225.7%#21 · 202143.0 µg/m³#3 · 2023
Niger0.12 t#20 · 20241.52 t#9 · 202441.1 Mt#9 · 20243.2 Mt#14 · 202427.3 Mt#7 · 202479.6%#12 · 20216.2%#20 · 202165.2 µg/m³#1 · 2023
Burundi0.07 t#21 · 20240.60 t#22 · 20248.4 Mt#18 · 20241.0 Mt#18 · 20245.7 Mt#18 · 202483.0%#9 · 202261.3%#11 · 202135.7 µg/m³#10 · 2023
Central African Republic0.06 t#22 · 20242.52 t#4 · 202413.4 Mt#17 · 20240.3 Mt#24 · 20248.2 Mt#16 · 202490.9%#4 · 202296.5%#1 · 202133.3 µg/m³#13 · 2023
Democratic Republic of the Congo0.06 t#23 · 20240.54 t#24 · 202458.5 Mt#5 · 20246.2 Mt#11 · 202442.2 Mt#4 · 202496.3%#1 · 202190.4%#3 · 202135.8 µg/m³#9 · 2023
Somalia0.05 t#24 · 20241.81 t#8 · 202434.4 Mt#12 · 20240.9 Mt#20 · 202426.9 Mt#8 · 202495.4%#2 · 202211.2%#17 · 202118.5 µg/m³#21 · 2023
South Sudan—————32.4%#21 · 20210.4%#25 · 202123.7 µg/m³#18 · 2023
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)Ranks count group members with a value in the recent window.
within the group

Highest and lowest, indicator by indicator

CO₂ per person24 countries
  1. 1North Korea2.50 t2024
  2. 2Syria1.27 t2024
  3. 3Sudan0.43 t2024
Lowest
  1. 24Somalia0.05 t2024
  2. 23Democratic Republic of the Congo0.06 t2024
  3. 22Central African Republic0.06 t2024
Median country 0.17 t · group 0.30 t
GHG per person24 countries
  1. 1Chad4.98 t2024
  2. 2North Korea3.44 t2024
  3. 3Sudan2.75 t2024
Lowest
  1. 24Democratic Republic of the Congo0.54 t2024
  2. 23Rwanda0.59 t2024
  3. 22Burundi0.60 t2024
Median country 1.30 t · group 1.43 t
GHG emissions24 countries
  1. 1Ethiopia192.7 Mt2024
  2. 2Sudan138.7 Mt2024
  3. 3Chad101.2 Mt2024
Lowest
  1. 24The Gambia1.9 Mt2024
  2. 23Guinea-Bissau3.2 Mt2024
  3. 22Liberia4.5 Mt2024
Median country 34.0 Mt · group 1,053.9 Mt
CO₂ emissions24 countries
  1. 1North Korea66.2 Mt2024
  2. 2Syria31.4 Mt2024
  3. 3Sudan21.9 Mt2024
Lowest
  1. 24Central African Republic0.3 Mt2024
  2. 23Guinea-Bissau0.3 Mt2024
  3. 22The Gambia0.5 Mt2024
Median country 4.7 Mt · group 224.0 Mt
Methane24 countries
  1. 1Ethiopia131.6 Mt2024
  2. 2Sudan84.9 Mt2024
  3. 3Chad75.1 Mt2024
Lowest
  1. 24The Gambia1.2 Mt2024
  2. 23Guinea-Bissau2.3 Mt2024
  3. 22Liberia3.1 Mt2024
Median country 17.5 Mt · group 619.9 Mt
Renewable energy25 countries
  1. 1Democratic Republic of the Congo96.3%2021
  2. 2Somalia95.4%2022
  3. 3Liberia92.8%2022
Lowest
  1. 25Syria1.1%2021
  2. 24Yemen3.7%2021
  3. 23North Korea14.7%2021
Median country 76.9% · group 74.6%
Renewable power25 countries
  1. 1Central African Republic96.5%2021
  2. 2Ethiopia95.3%2020
  3. 3Democratic Republic of the Congo90.4%2021
Lowest
  1. 25South Sudan0.4%2021
  2. 24The Gambia1.6%2021
  3. 23Syria3.4%2021
Median country 59.9% · group 59.1%
PM2.5 exposure25 countries
  1. 1Niger65.2 µg/m³2023
  2. 2Yemen46.8 µg/m³2023
  3. 3Chad43.0 µg/m³2023
Lowest
  1. 25Madagascar12.4 µg/m³2023
  2. 24Mozambique13.7 µg/m³2023
  3. 23Malawi16.7 µg/m³2023
Median country 33.3 µg/m³ · group 31.3 µg/m³
Forest cover25 countries
  1. 1Guinea-Bissau74.8%2024
  2. 2Central African Republic72.5%2024
  3. 3Liberia66.1%2024
Lowest
  1. 25Niger0.8%2024
  2. 24Yemen1.0%2024
  3. 23Afghanistan1.9%2024
Median country 12.3% · group 19.9%
Farmland25 countries
  1. 1Uganda80.3%2024
  2. 2The Gambia76.1%2024
  3. 3Rwanda75.7%2024
Lowest
  1. 25Central African Republic9.3%2024
  2. 24Democratic Republic of the Congo16.2%2024
  3. 23Liberia20.1%2024
Median country 56.1% · group 42.1%
Arable land25 countries
  1. 1The Gambia58.1%2024
  2. 2Rwanda48.9%2024
  3. 3Burundi43.7%2024
Lowest
  1. 25Somalia1.8%2024
  2. 24Yemen2.2%2024
  3. 23Central African Republic2.9%2024
Median country 12.0% · group 9.4%
Protected areas25 countries
  1. 1Malawi23.1%2025
  2. 2Chad21.0%2025
  3. 3Niger21.0%2025
Lowest
  1. 25Somalia0.0%2025
  2. 24Eritrea0.0%2025
  3. 23Yemen0.7%2025
Median country 7.6% · group 10.3%
Water withdrawals25 countries
  1. 1Sudan673.4%2022
  2. 2Syria195.8%2022
  3. 3Yemen169.8%2022
Lowest
  1. 25Central African Republic0.1%2022
  2. 24Liberia0.1%2022
  3. 23Democratic Republic of the Congo0.1%2022
Median country 6.4% · group 5.1%
Freshwater per person25 countries
  1. 1Liberia37,221 m³2022
  2. 2Central African Republic27,658 m³2022
  3. 3Sierra Leone19,331 m³2022
Lowest
  1. 25Yemen55 m³2022
  2. 24Sudan81 m³2022
  3. 23Niger138 m³2022
Median country 973 m³ · group 3,260 m³
Cereal yield25 countries
  1. 1North Korea3,610 kg/ha2024
  2. 2Ethiopia2,632 kg/ha2024
  3. 3Madagascar2,393 kg/ha2024
Lowest
  1. 25Somalia362 kg/ha2024
  2. 24Niger577 kg/ha2024
  3. 23Sudan580 kg/ha2024
Median country 1,163 kg/ha · group 1,345 kg/ha
more

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