South Korea vs South Africa: Annual CO₂ emissions from coal
South Korea
247.47 million tonnes
in 2024
South Africa
371.36 million tonnes
in 2024
South Korea rank
8th
South Africa rank
7th
Annual CO₂ emissions from coal over time
- South Korea
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 371.36 million tonnes against 247.47 million tonnes in South Korea, a difference of 123.89 million tonnes.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.5 times South Korea's.
Across all 115 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Korea ranks 8th and South Africa ranks 7th of 179 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 4,532 tonnes | 12.50 million tonnes | 12.50 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1910s | 21,963 tonnes | 19.30 million tonnes | 19.28 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1920s | 76,500 tonnes | 27.62 million tonnes | 27.55 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1930s | 282,569 tonnes | 31.26 million tonnes | 30.97 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1940s | 1.08 million tonnes | 51.37 million tonnes | 50.29 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1950s | 4.87 million tonnes | 70.95 million tonnes | 66.08 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1960s | 17.68 million tonnes | 104.26 million tonnes | 86.58 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1970s | 31.35 million tonnes | 146.91 million tonnes | 115.56 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1980s | 77.83 million tonnes | 256.30 million tonnes | 178.47 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1990s | 112.57 million tonnes | 303.09 million tonnes | 190.53 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2000s | 209.42 million tonnes | 370.24 million tonnes | 160.83 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2010s | 323.99 million tonnes | 394.23 million tonnes | 70.24 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2020s | 270.21 million tonnes | 366.50 million tonnes | 96.30 million tonnes | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual co₂ emissions from coal, South Korea or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 371.36 million tonnes against 247.47 million tonnes in South Korea as of 2024.
- What is the difference in annual co₂ emissions from coal between South Korea and South Africa?
- 123.89 million tonnes, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and South Africa?
- 115 years are reported by both, from 1905 to 2024.
- How do South Korea and South Africa rank globally for annual co₂ emissions from coal?
- South Korea ranks 8th and South Africa ranks 7th of 179 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Annual CO₂ emissions from coal. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured in tonnes.