Ireland vs South Africa: CO₂ emissions per capita vs. fossil fuel consumption per capita
Ireland
6.34 tonnes per person
in 2024
South Africa
6.87 tonnes per person
in 2024
Ireland rank
45th
South Africa rank
42nd
CO₂ emissions per capita vs. fossil fuel consumption per capita over time
- Ireland
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 6.87 tonnes per person against 6.34 tonnes per person in Ireland, a difference of 0.53 tonnes per person.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 12 times across 75 shared years of data; in 1950 it was South Africa ahead.
Ireland ranks 45th and South Africa ranks 42nd of 213 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.53 tonnes per person | 5.46 tonnes per person | 1.93 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1960s | 5.07 tonnes per person | 6.36 tonnes per person | 1.3 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1970s | 7.24 tonnes per person | 7.23 tonnes per person | 0.0104 tonnes per person | Ireland |
| 1980s | 7.84 tonnes per person | 8.79 tonnes per person | 0.9491 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1990s | 10.05 tonnes per person | 7.85 tonnes per person | 2.2 tonnes per person | Ireland |
| 2000s | 11.22 tonnes per person | 8.62 tonnes per person | 2.6 tonnes per person | Ireland |
| 2010s | 8.21 tonnes per person | 8.28 tonnes per person | 0.066 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 2020s | 6.89 tonnes per person | 7 tonnes per person | 0.1045 tonnes per person | South Africa |
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, Ireland or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 6.87 tonnes per person against 6.34 tonnes per person in Ireland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions per capita vs. fossil fuel consumption per capita between Ireland and South Africa?
- 0.53 tonnes per person, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and South Africa?
- 75 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2024.
- How do Ireland and South Africa rank globally for co₂ emissions per capita vs. fossil fuel consumption per capita?
- Ireland ranks 45th 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.