Emissions of air pollutants in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Emissions of air pollutants was 82,418 tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Emissions of air pollutants in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1750–2022
Source: Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for emissions of air pollutants in Democratic Republic of Congo is 82,418 tonnes, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 128,340 tonnes in 2014 and was at its lowest, 372.58 tonnes, in 1750.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 104th out of 220 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 372.89 tonnes | 372.58 tonnes | 373.19 tonnes | 10 |
| 1760s | 373.54 tonnes | 373.26 tonnes | 373.82 tonnes | 10 |
| 1770s | 374.14 tonnes | 373.89 tonnes | 374.4 tonnes | 10 |
| 1780s | 374.68 tonnes | 374.45 tonnes | 374.9 tonnes | 10 |
| 1790s | 375.15 tonnes | 374.95 tonnes | 375.34 tonnes | 10 |
| 1800s | 377.75 tonnes | 375.38 tonnes | 380.12 tonnes | 10 |
| 1810s | 383.87 tonnes | 380.65 tonnes | 387.09 tonnes | 10 |
| 1820s | 391.02 tonnes | 387.81 tonnes | 394.25 tonnes | 10 |
| 1830s | 398.17 tonnes | 394.96 tonnes | 401.39 tonnes | 10 |
| 1840s | 405.3 tonnes | 402.11 tonnes | 408.51 tonnes | 10 |
| 1850s | 426.58 tonnes | 409.31 tonnes | 444.9 tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 474.05 tonnes | 449.24 tonnes | 499.59 tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 537.52 tonnes | 505.51 tonnes | 570.41 tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 614.79 tonnes | 578.01 tonnes | 653.4 tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 707.1 tonnes | 662.66 tonnes | 752.81 tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 1,017 tonnes | 763.36 tonnes | 1,291 tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 1,726 tonnes | 1,358 tonnes | 2,125 tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 2,975 tonnes | 2,144 tonnes | 3,804 tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 4,442 tonnes | 3,670 tonnes | 5,923 tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 8,285 tonnes | 6,251 tonnes | 10,844 tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 29,106 tonnes | 19,077 tonnes | 34,333 tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 34,126 tonnes | 29,109 tonnes | 43,647 tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 51,129 tonnes | 37,774 tonnes | 55,030 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 61,810 tonnes | 55,166 tonnes | 68,150 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 69,387 tonnes | 67,224 tonnes | 72,863 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 82,450 tonnes | 69,603 tonnes | 96,753 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 99,617 tonnes | 79,385 tonnes | 128,340 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 81,849 tonnes | 81,377 tonnes | 82,418 tonnes | 3 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 101 Bulgaria 90,824 tonnes compare
- 103 Uruguay 83,677 tonnes compare
- 105 Cote d'Ivoire 80,310 tonnes compare
- 106 Jamaica 79,290 tonnes compare
- 107 Costa Rica 79,121 tonnes compare
More environment data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 58.49 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 0.5353 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 3.5 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 7.67 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 17.49 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0166 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 42.16 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0035 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.024 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 13.45 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is emissions of air pollutants in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Emissions of air pollutants in Democratic Republic of Congo was 82,418 tonnes in 2022, according to Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 128,340 tonnes in 2014.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 372.58 tonnes in 1750.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for emissions of air pollutants?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 104th out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 273 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) are gases that are mainly formed during the burning of fossil fuels. Exposure to NOₓ gases can have negative impacts on respiratory health. NOₓ gases can also lead to the formation of ozone – another air pollutant.