Germany vs South Africa: CO₂ emissions per capita vs. fossil fuel consumption per capita
Germany
6.77 tonnes per person
in 2024
South Africa
6.87 tonnes per person
in 2024
Germany rank
43rd
South Africa rank
42nd
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. fossil fuel consumption per capita over time
- Germany
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 6.87 tonnes per person against 6.77 tonnes per person in Germany, a difference of 0.1 tonnes per person.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 141 shared years of data; in 1884 it was Germany ahead.
Germany ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 42nd of 213 countries.
Germany has averaged higher in every one of the 15 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 3.68 tonnes per person | 0.0136 tonnes per person | 3.66 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 1890s | 4.72 tonnes per person | 0.5903 tonnes per person | 4.13 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 1900s | 6.26 tonnes per person | 1.6 tonnes per person | 4.66 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 1910s | 7.54 tonnes per person | 2.99 tonnes per person | 4.55 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 1920s | 6.99 tonnes per person | 3.51 tonnes per person | 3.48 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 1930s | 6.8 tonnes per person | 3.25 tonnes per person | 3.55 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 1940s | 6.68 tonnes per person | 4.45 tonnes per person | 2.23 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 1950s | 9.57 tonnes per person | 5.46 tonnes per person | 4.11 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 1960s | 12.34 tonnes per person | 6.36 tonnes per person | 5.98 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 1970s | 13.5 tonnes per person | 7.23 tonnes per person | 6.27 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 1980s | 13.25 tonnes per person | 8.79 tonnes per person | 4.46 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 1990s | 11.78 tonnes per person | 7.85 tonnes per person | 3.93 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 2000s | 10.68 tonnes per person | 8.62 tonnes per person | 2.07 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 2010s | 9.67 tonnes per person | 8.28 tonnes per person | 1.39 tonnes per person | Germany |
| 2020s | 7.51 tonnes per person | 7 tonnes per person | 0.5176 tonnes per person | Germany |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions per capita vs. fossil fuel consumption per capita, Germany or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 6.87 tonnes per person against 6.77 tonnes per person in Germany as of 2024.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions per capita vs. fossil fuel consumption per capita between Germany and South Africa?
- 0.1 tonnes per person, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and South Africa?
- 141 years are reported by both, from 1884 to 2024.
- How do Germany and South Africa rank globally for co₂ emissions per capita vs. fossil fuel consumption per capita?
- Germany ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 42nd of 213 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions per capita vs. fossil fuel consumption per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes. This includes emissions from transport, electricity generation, and heating, but not land-use change.