South Africa vs Vietnam: Annual CO₂ emissions from coal
South Africa
371.36 million tonnes
in 2024
Vietnam
229.19 million tonnes
in 2024
South Africa rank
7th
Vietnam rank
9th
Annual CO₂ emissions from coal over time
- South Africa
- Vietnam
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 371.36 million tonnes against 229.19 million tonnes in Vietnam, a difference of 142.17 million tonnes.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.6 times Vietnam's.
Across all 133 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 7th and Vietnam ranks 9th of 179 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 14 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Vietnam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 3.58 million tonnes | 454,336 tonnes | 3.13 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1900s | 9.07 million tonnes | 718,877 tonnes | 8.36 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1910s | 19.71 million tonnes | 1.53 million tonnes | 18.17 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1920s | 27.62 million tonnes | 3.45 million tonnes | 24.18 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1930s | 31.26 million tonnes | 5.25 million tonnes | 26.00 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1940s | 51.77 million tonnes | 2.42 million tonnes | 49.35 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1950s | 70.95 million tonnes | 1.75 million tonnes | 69.20 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1960s | 104.26 million tonnes | 6.93 million tonnes | 97.32 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1970s | 146.91 million tonnes | 9.62 million tonnes | 137.30 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1980s | 256.30 million tonnes | 13.26 million tonnes | 243.04 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1990s | 303.09 million tonnes | 14.44 million tonnes | 288.65 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2000s | 370.24 million tonnes | 34.77 million tonnes | 335.47 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2010s | 394.23 million tonnes | 92.10 million tonnes | 302.12 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2020s | 366.50 million tonnes | 200.82 million tonnes | 165.68 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 Africa or Vietnam?
- South Africa, at 371.36 million tonnes against 229.19 million tonnes in Vietnam as of 2024.
- What is the difference in annual co₂ emissions from coal between South Africa and Vietnam?
- 142.17 million tonnes, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Vietnam?
- 133 years are reported by both, from 1892 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Vietnam rank globally for annual co₂ emissions from coal?
- South Africa ranks 7th and Vietnam ranks 9th 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.