Ethiopia: Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste (Mt CO2e)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Ethiopia's methane (CH4) emissions from Waste (Mt CO2e) rose 2.8% on 2023 (from 13.19 to 13.56).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +3.4% and a typical year strayed about 0.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.7% in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.45 a year. A straight line explains 99% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 14.78 for 2027. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2022 to 2024 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 0.42, against 0.93 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2024, Ethiopia had the 28th highest value of the 203 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Ethiopia in the 2024 ranking

• Italy — 25th of 203: 15.57
• Chile — 26th of 203: 14.34
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 27th of 203: 13.99
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 29th of 203: 13.45
• Iraq — 30th of 203: 13.2
• Spain — 31st of 203: 12.89

What this measures

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).

Limitations: Global GHG emissions are currently not directly measurable, but approaches for their estimation exist, and numerous sources exist to supply data for this indicator. Reputable scientific organizations produce these data for use for research, policy analysis, climate negotiations, and broader public communications. The estimated accuracy from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes are quite high, as quantities of fossil fuels and other emissive materials (such as cement and steel) produced are well known. For these sectors, emissions estimates are roughly accurate to within 10% when aggregated to the global level and between 4% and 35% at the country level (Crippa et al., 2023).

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 55 values

Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste (Mt CO2e) in nearby economies

• Angola — 3.49 (2024)
• Benin — 1.41 (2024)
• Botswana — 0.52 (2024)
• Burkina Faso — 2.61 (2024)
• Burundi — 1.04 (2024)
• Cabo Verde — 0.07 (2024)
• Cameroon — 4.38 (2024)
• Central African Republic — 0.44 (2024)
• Chad — 1.86 (2024)
• Comoros — 0.17 (2024)

More environment data for Ethiopia

• Population in largest city — 5.96 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 18.24% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 5.96 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 4.4% (2025)
• Rural population — 102.81 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 75.89% (2025)
• Urban population — 32.66 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 24.11% (2025)
• Rural population growth (annual %) — 1.91% (2025)
• Urban population growth (annual %)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Ethiopia's methane (CH4) emissions from Waste (Mt CO2e)?

13.56 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 310.2% from 3.31 in 1970 (2.65% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 13.56 in 2024 and the lowest 3.31 in 1970.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.GHG.CH4.WA.MT.CE.AR5, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission, uri: https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dataset_ghg2024, publisher: JRC European Commission, date published: 2024; International Energy Agency (IEA), uri: https://edgar.j… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.