Democratic Republic of Congo vs South Africa: emissions of air pollutants
Democratic Republic of Congo
5.25 million tonnes
in 2022
South Africa
4.37 million tonnes
in 2022
Democratic Republic of Congo rank
12th
South Africa rank
15th
emissions of air pollutants over time
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- South Africa
How they compare
Democratic Republic of Congo currently reports 5.25 million tonnes against 4.37 million tonnes in South Africa, a difference of 878,160 tonnes.
That makes Democratic Republic of Congo's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 273 shared years of data; in 1750 it was South Africa ahead.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 12th and South Africa ranks 15th of 220 countries.
Across the 28 decades both report, Democratic Republic of Congo averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 27.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Democratic Republic of Congo | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 149,878 tonnes | 174,460 tonnes | 24,582 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1760s | 149,910 tonnes | 179,778 tonnes | 29,867 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1770s | 149,897 tonnes | 185,530 tonnes | 35,632 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1780s | 149,833 tonnes | 191,775 tonnes | 41,942 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1790s | 149,712 tonnes | 198,581 tonnes | 48,869 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1800s | 149,530 tonnes | 206,023 tonnes | 56,494 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1810s | 149,618 tonnes | 218,304 tonnes | 68,686 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1820s | 150,044 tonnes | 237,052 tonnes | 87,008 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1830s | 150,387 tonnes | 258,293 tonnes | 107,905 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1840s | 150,637 tonnes | 282,402 tonnes | 131,765 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1850s | 161,919 tonnes | 325,430 tonnes | 163,511 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1860s | 189,352 tonnes | 394,421 tonnes | 205,070 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1870s | 221,590 tonnes | 479,431 tonnes | 257,842 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1880s | 259,622 tonnes | 586,523 tonnes | 326,901 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1890s | 304,281 tonnes | 726,120 tonnes | 421,840 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1900s | 359,735 tonnes | 971,467 tonnes | 611,732 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1910s | 430,249 tonnes | 1.21 million tonnes | 778,952 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1920s | 501,787 tonnes | 1.42 million tonnes | 917,904 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1930s | 627,766 tonnes | 1.69 million tonnes | 1.06 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1940s | 902,075 tonnes | 2.03 million tonnes | 1.13 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1950s | 1.47 million tonnes | 2.21 million tonnes | 736,269 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1960s | 1.80 million tonnes | 2.07 million tonnes | 276,425 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1970s | 2.19 million tonnes | 2.69 million tonnes | 503,915 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1980s | 2.94 million tonnes | 3.33 million tonnes | 388,730 tonnes | South Africa |
| 1990s | 3.52 million tonnes | 4.27 million tonnes | 749,635 tonnes | South Africa |
| 2000s | 3.13 million tonnes | 5.02 million tonnes | 1.90 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2010s | 4.58 million tonnes | 5.06 million tonnes | 484,237 tonnes | South Africa |
| 2020s | 5.17 million tonnes | 4.40 million tonnes | 769,850 tonnes | Democratic Republic of Congo |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher emissions of air pollutants, Democratic Republic of Congo or South Africa?
- Democratic Republic of Congo, at 5.25 million tonnes against 4.37 million tonnes in South Africa as of 2022.
- What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa?
- 878,160 tonnes, with Democratic Republic of Congo ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa?
- 273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.
- How do Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa rank globally for emissions of air pollutants?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 12th and South Africa ranks 15th of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a pollutant produced from the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels such as oil, gas, wood, and coal. CO is a harmful gas that contributes to both outdoor and indoor air pollution.