Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Agriculture was 242.64 Mt CO2e in 2024. ▲ Rising
Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission. Measured in Mt CO2e.
Analysis
In 2024, nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions from agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 242.64 Mt CO2e. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 26.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions from agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 242.64 Mt CO2e in 2024 and was at its lowest, 79.65 Mt CO2e, in 1970.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 21st out of 45 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Mt CO2e | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 79.65 Mt CO2e | — |
| 1971 | 80.56 Mt CO2e | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 81.21 Mt CO2e | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 80.97 Mt CO2e | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 81.62 Mt CO2e | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 83.82 Mt CO2e | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 85.18 Mt CO2e | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 87.34 Mt CO2e | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 89.91 Mt CO2e | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 92.77 Mt CO2e | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 94.39 Mt CO2e | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 96.39 Mt CO2e | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 98.02 Mt CO2e | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 98.13 Mt CO2e | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 96.71 Mt CO2e | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 98.02 Mt CO2e | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 99.12 Mt CO2e | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 98.42 Mt CO2e | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 101.48 Mt CO2e | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 104.06 Mt CO2e | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 106.13 Mt CO2e | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 107.55 Mt CO2e | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 109.77 Mt CO2e | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 110.56 Mt CO2e | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 112.67 Mt CO2e | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 114.37 Mt CO2e | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 117.45 Mt CO2e | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 120.71 Mt CO2e | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 124.38 Mt CO2e | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 128.58 Mt CO2e | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 129.91 Mt CO2e | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 133.24 Mt CO2e | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 136.32 Mt CO2e | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 139.21 Mt CO2e | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 142.55 Mt CO2e | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 147.07 Mt CO2e | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 149.87 Mt CO2e | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 158.06 Mt CO2e | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 164.31 Mt CO2e | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 167.77 Mt CO2e | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 173.75 Mt CO2e | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 176.44 Mt CO2e | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 182.49 Mt CO2e | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 188.45 Mt CO2e | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 192.15 Mt CO2e | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 194.8 Mt CO2e | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 201.47 Mt CO2e | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 205.67 Mt CO2e | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 209.18 Mt CO2e | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 216.44 Mt CO2e | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 223.58 Mt CO2e | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 226.06 Mt CO2e | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 230.59 Mt CO2e | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 237.05 Mt CO2e | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 242.64 Mt CO2e | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 84.3 Mt CO2e | 79.65 Mt CO2e | 92.77 Mt CO2e | 10 |
| 1980s | 98.47 Mt CO2e | 94.39 Mt CO2e | 104.06 Mt CO2e | 10 |
| 1990s | 115.22 Mt CO2e | 106.13 Mt CO2e | 128.58 Mt CO2e | 10 |
| 2000s | 146.83 Mt CO2e | 129.91 Mt CO2e | 167.77 Mt CO2e | 10 |
| 2010s | 194.08 Mt CO2e | 173.75 Mt CO2e | 216.44 Mt CO2e | 10 |
| 2020s | 231.98 Mt CO2e | 223.58 Mt CO2e | 242.64 Mt CO2e | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 18 Türkiye 19.4 Mt CO2e compare
- 19 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 19.23 Mt CO2e compare
- 20 Tanzania, United Republic of 18.21 Mt CO2e compare
- 21 Bangladesh 17.85 Mt CO2e compare
- 22 Iran, Islamic Republic of 16.17 Mt CO2e compare
- 23 Colombia 15.28 Mt CO2e compare
- 24 Poland 14.96 Mt CO2e compare
More environment data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -7.11 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.36 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.223 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.21 °C (2025)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 305.43 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Aquaculture production 904,662 metric tons (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 2.29 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Transport (Energy) 2.96 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Permanent meadows and pastures — Share in Agricultural land 72.81 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions from agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions from agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa was 242.64 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 nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions from agriculture recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 242.64 Mt CO2e in 2024.
- What is the lowest nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions from agriculture recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.65 Mt CO2e in 1970.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions from agriculture?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 21st out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions from agriculture rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Agriculture (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
A measure of annual emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from the agricultural sector. This includes emissions from livestock (IPCC 2006 codes 3.A.1 (enteric fermentation, 3.a.2 (manure management) and crops (IPCC 2006 codes 3.C.1 Emissions from biomass burning, 3.C.2 Liming, 3.C.3 Urea application, 3.C.4 Direct N2O Emissions from managed soils, 3.C.5 Indirect N2O Emissions from managed soils, 3.C.6 Indirect N2O Emissions from manure management, 3.C.7 Rice cultivations). The measure is standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) factors of IPCC's 5th Assessment Report (AR5).