Iran vs South Africa: CO₂ emissions embedded in trade
Iran
-121.10 million tonnes
in 2023
South Africa
-111.22 million tonnes
in 2023
Iran rank
117th
South Africa rank
116th
CO₂ emissions embedded in trade over time
- Iran
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports -111.22 million tonnes against -121.10 million tonnes in Iran, a difference of 9.87 million tonnes.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.
Iran ranks 117th and South Africa ranks 116th of 120 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -22.16 million tonnes | 3.2 tonnes | 22.16 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2000s | -57.83 million tonnes | -118.10 million tonnes | 60.27 million tonnes | Iran |
| 2010s | -101.06 million tonnes | -107.25 million tonnes | 6.19 million tonnes | Iran |
| 2020s | -116.63 million tonnes | -108.27 million tonnes | 8.37 million tonnes | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions embedded in trade, Iran or South Africa?
- South Africa, at -111.22 million tonnes against -121.10 million tonnes in Iran as of 2023.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions embedded in trade between Iran and South Africa?
- 9.87 million tonnes, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Iran and South Africa rank globally for co₂ emissions embedded in trade?
- Iran ranks 117th and South Africa ranks 116th of 120 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions embedded in trade. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual net carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions embedded in trade, measured in tonnes.