Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste was 156.4 Mt CO2e in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
156.4 Mt CO2e
Change on year
up 2.5%
All-time high
156.4 Mt CO2e
in 2024
All-time low
27.53 Mt CO2e
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024

Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2024

50100150197019972024

Source: EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission. Measured in Mt CO2e.

Analysis

The most recent figure for methane (ch4) emissions from waste in Sub-Saharan Africa is 156.4 Mt CO2e, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 45.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, methane (ch4) emissions from waste in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 156.4 Mt CO2e in 2024 and was at its lowest, 27.53 Mt CO2e, in 1970.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 32.35 Mt CO2e 27.53 Mt CO2e 36.82 Mt CO2e 10
1980s 43.19 Mt CO2e 37.97 Mt CO2e 49.73 Mt CO2e 10
1990s 57.41 Mt CO2e 51.22 Mt CO2e 64.38 Mt CO2e 10
2000s 77.88 Mt CO2e 65.88 Mt CO2e 89.28 Mt CO2e 10
2010s 110.76 Mt CO2e 92.58 Mt CO2e 131.31 Mt CO2e 10
2020s 147.33 Mt CO2e 136.31 Mt CO2e 156.4 Mt CO2e 5

More environment data for Sub-Saharan Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is methane (ch4) emissions from waste in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Methane (ch4) emissions from waste in Sub-Saharan Africa was 156.4 Mt CO2e in 2024, according to EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission.
What is the highest methane (ch4) emissions from waste recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 156.4 Mt CO2e in 2024.
What is the lowest methane (ch4) emissions from waste recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 27.53 Mt CO2e in 1970.
Is methane (ch4) emissions from waste rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 45.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
The figures come from EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission, published as part of Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste (Mt CO2e). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste (Mt CO2e)
Unit
Mt CO2e
Source
EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
250 places, 13,750 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

A measure of annual emissions of methane (CH4), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from the waste sector. This includes emissions from solid waste (IPCC 2006 codes 4.A Solid Waste Disposal, 4.B Biological Treatment of Solid Waste, 4.C Incineration and Open Burning of Waste) and wastewater treatment (IPCC 2006 code 4.D Wastewater Treatment and Discharge). The measure is standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) factors of IPCC's 5th Assessment Report (AR5).