Emissions of air pollutants in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Emissions of air pollutants was 82,418 tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
82,418 tonnes
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
104th
of 220 countries
All-time high
128,340 tonnes
in 2014
All-time low
372.58 tonnes
in 1750
Years of data
273
1750–2022
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.
Emissions of air pollutants in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1750 | 372.58 tonnes | — |
| 1751 | 372.65 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1752 | 372.72 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1753 | 372.79 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1754 | 372.85 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1755 | 372.92 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1756 | 372.99 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1757 | 373.06 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1758 | 373.13 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1759 | 373.19 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1760 | 373.26 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1761 | 373.32 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1762 | 373.39 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1763 | 373.45 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1764 | 373.51 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1765 | 373.57 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1766 | 373.64 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1767 | 373.7 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1768 | 373.76 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1769 | 373.82 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1770 | 373.89 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1771 | 373.94 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1772 | 374 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1773 | 374.06 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1774 | 374.12 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1775 | 374.17 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1776 | 374.23 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1777 | 374.29 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1778 | 374.34 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1779 | 374.4 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1780 | 374.45 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1781 | 374.5 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1782 | 374.56 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1783 | 374.61 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1784 | 374.65 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1785 | 374.7 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1786 | 374.75 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1787 | 374.81 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1788 | 374.86 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1789 | 374.9 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1790 | 374.95 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1791 | 375 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1792 | 375.04 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1793 | 375.08 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1794 | 375.13 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1795 | 375.17 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1796 | 375.21 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1797 | 375.25 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1798 | 375.3 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1799 | 375.34 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1800 | 375.38 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1801 | 375.91 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1802 | 376.44 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1803 | 376.96 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1804 | 377.49 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1805 | 378.02 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1806 | 378.55 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1807 | 379.06 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1808 | 379.59 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1809 | 380.12 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1810 | 380.65 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 1811 | 381.37 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1812 | 382.08 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1813 | 382.79 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1814 | 383.51 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1815 | 384.23 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1816 | 384.93 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1817 | 385.65 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1818 | 386.37 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1819 | 387.09 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1820 | 387.81 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1821 | 388.52 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1822 | 389.24 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1823 | 389.95 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1824 | 390.67 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1825 | 391.38 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1826 | 392.09 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1827 | 392.81 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1828 | 393.53 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1829 | 394.25 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1830 | 394.96 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1831 | 395.68 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1832 | 396.39 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1833 | 397.1 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1834 | 397.82 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1835 | 398.53 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1836 | 399.24 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1837 | 399.95 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1838 | 400.67 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1839 | 401.39 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1840 | 402.11 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1841 | 402.81 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1842 | 403.53 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1843 | 404.24 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1844 | 404.95 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1845 | 405.65 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1846 | 406.36 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1847 | 407.08 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1848 | 407.79 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1849 | 408.51 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1850 | 409.31 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1851 | 412.97 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1852 | 416.67 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1853 | 420.43 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1854 | 424.23 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1855 | 428.07 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1856 | 432.2 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1857 | 436.39 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1858 | 440.62 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1859 | 444.9 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1860 | 449.24 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1861 | 454.6 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1862 | 460 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1863 | 465.47 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1864 | 471 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1865 | 476.59 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1866 | 482.25 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1867 | 487.97 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1868 | 493.74 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1869 | 499.59 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1870 | 505.51 tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1871 | 512.44 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1872 | 519.42 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1873 | 526.49 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1874 | 533.63 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1875 | 540.83 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1876 | 548.11 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1877 | 555.47 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1878 | 562.9 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1879 | 570.41 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1880 | 578.01 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1881 | 585.91 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1882 | 593.91 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1883 | 601.99 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1884 | 610.14 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1885 | 618.4 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1886 | 626.74 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1887 | 635.16 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1888 | 644.23 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1889 | 653.4 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1890 | 662.66 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1891 | 672.26 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1892 | 681.97 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1893 | 691.77 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1894 | 701.67 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1895 | 711.69 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1896 | 721.81 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1897 | 732.02 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1898 | 742.36 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1899 | 752.81 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1900 | 763.36 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1901 | 815.66 tonnes | +6.9% |
| 1902 | 869.37 tonnes | +6.6% |
| 1903 | 924.52 tonnes | +6.3% |
| 1904 | 981.13 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1905 | 1,039 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1906 | 1,100 tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1907 | 1,162 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1908 | 1,225 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1909 | 1,291 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1910 | 1,358 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1911 | 1,434 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1912 | 1,511 tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1913 | 1,591 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1914 | 1,673 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 1915 | 1,757 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1916 | 1,845 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1917 | 1,936 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1918 | 2,030 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1919 | 2,125 tonnes | +4.7% |
| 1920 | 2,230 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1921 | 2,144 tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1922 | 2,411 tonnes | +12.4% |
| 1923 | 2,785 tonnes | +15.5% |
| 1924 | 3,002 tonnes | +7.8% |
| 1925 | 3,048 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1926 | 3,293 tonnes | +8.0% |
| 1927 | 3,415 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1928 | 3,616 tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1929 | 3,804 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1930 | 4,092 tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1931 | 3,945 tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1932 | 3,670 tonnes | -7.0% |
| 1933 | 3,679 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1934 | 3,830 tonnes | +4.1% |
| 1935 | 4,053 tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1936 | 4,387 tonnes | +8.2% |
| 1937 | 5,121 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 1938 | 5,721 tonnes | +11.7% |
| 1939 | 5,923 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 1940 | 6,251 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 1941 | 6,721 tonnes | +7.5% |
| 1942 | 7,206 tonnes | +7.2% |
| 1943 | 7,825 tonnes | +8.6% |
| 1944 | 7,689 tonnes | -1.7% |
| 1945 | 7,966 tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1946 | 8,857 tonnes | +11.2% |
| 1947 | 9,421 tonnes | +6.4% |
| 1948 | 10,070 tonnes | +6.9% |
| 1949 | 10,844 tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1950 | 19,077 tonnes | +75.9% |
| 1951 | 22,412 tonnes | +17.5% |
| 1952 | 24,174 tonnes | +7.9% |
| 1953 | 26,965 tonnes | +11.5% |
| 1954 | 31,181 tonnes | +15.6% |
| 1955 | 33,450 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 1956 | 33,415 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1957 | 34,333 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1958 | 33,698 tonnes | -1.8% |
| 1959 | 32,356 tonnes | -4.0% |
| 1960 | 30,914 tonnes | -4.5% |
| 1961 | 31,756 tonnes | +2.7% |
| 1962 | 31,349 tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1963 | 32,371 tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1964 | 29,109 tonnes | -10.1% |
| 1965 | 32,270 tonnes | +10.9% |
| 1966 | 33,947 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 1967 | 33,518 tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 42,383 tonnes | +26.5% |
| 1969 | 43,647 tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 37,774 tonnes | -13.5% |
| 1971 | 52,179 tonnes | +38.1% |
| 1972 | 52,852 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 53,762 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1974 | 55,030 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 51,758 tonnes | -5.9% |
| 1976 | 48,836 tonnes | -5.6% |
| 1977 | 51,642 tonnes | +5.7% |
| 1978 | 52,646 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 54,810 tonnes | +4.1% |
| 1980 | 55,166 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 57,606 tonnes | +4.4% |
| 1982 | 55,284 tonnes | -4.0% |
| 1983 | 61,206 tonnes | +10.7% |
| 1984 | 62,220 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 62,180 tonnes | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 62,738 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 65,898 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1988 | 68,150 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 67,652 tonnes | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 69,208 tonnes | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 67,595 tonnes | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 67,810 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 69,048 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 67,224 tonnes | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 68,166 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 69,104 tonnes | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 70,761 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 72,090 tonnes | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 72,863 tonnes | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 69,922 tonnes | -4.0% |
| 2001 | 69,603 tonnes | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 72,404 tonnes | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 76,199 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 79,565 tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 84,783 tonnes | +6.6% |
| 2006 | 88,915 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 91,910 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 94,448 tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 96,753 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 100,327 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 108,514 tonnes | +8.2% |
| 2012 | 92,948 tonnes | -14.3% |
| 2013 | 109,209 tonnes | +17.5% |
| 2014 | 128,340 tonnes | +17.5% |
| 2015 | 109,534 tonnes | -14.7% |
| 2016 | 102,350 tonnes | -6.6% |
| 2017 | 85,379 tonnes | -16.6% |
| 2018 | 79,385 tonnes | -7.0% |
| 2019 | 80,180 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 81,377 tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 81,754 tonnes | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 82,418 tonnes | +0.8% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 82,418 tonnes is above the median for low income countries, which is 44,196 tonnes, 1.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 82,418 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44,992 tonnes, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Emissions of air pollutants in Democratic Republic of Congo changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | +75.9% | 10,844 tonnes | 19,077 tonnes |
| 1971 | +38.1% | 37,774 tonnes | 52,179 tonnes |
| 1968 | +26.5% | 33,518 tonnes | 42,383 tonnes |
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
More environment data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 5.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 0.338 % change on previous year (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.