Poland vs South Africa: CO₂ emissions per capita
Poland
7.08 tonnes per person
in 2024
South Africa
6.87 tonnes per person
in 2024
Poland rank
40th
South Africa rank
42nd
CO₂ emissions per capita over time
- Poland
- South Africa
How they compare
Poland currently reports 7.08 tonnes per person against 6.87 tonnes per person in South Africa, a difference of 0.21 tonnes per person.
The two have swapped places 14 times across 141 shared years of data; in 1884 it was Poland ahead.
Poland ranks 40th and South Africa ranks 42nd of 213 countries.
Across the 15 decades both report, Poland averaged higher in 12 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Poland | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1.62 tonnes per person | 0.0136 tonnes per person | 1.61 tonnes per person | Poland |
| 1890s | 2.14 tonnes per person | 0.5903 tonnes per person | 1.55 tonnes per person | Poland |
| 1900s | 3.03 tonnes per person | 1.6 tonnes per person | 1.43 tonnes per person | Poland |
| 1910s | 3.8 tonnes per person | 2.99 tonnes per person | 0.8076 tonnes per person | Poland |
| 1920s | 2.45 tonnes per person | 3.51 tonnes per person | 1.06 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1930s | 1.79 tonnes per person | 3.25 tonnes per person | 1.46 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1940s | 4.96 tonnes per person | 4.45 tonnes per person | 0.513 tonnes per person | Poland |
| 1950s | 5.6 tonnes per person | 5.46 tonnes per person | 0.1379 tonnes per person | Poland |
| 1960s | 7.79 tonnes per person | 6.36 tonnes per person | 1.42 tonnes per person | Poland |
| 1970s | 10.88 tonnes per person | 7.23 tonnes per person | 3.65 tonnes per person | Poland |
| 1980s | 11.85 tonnes per person | 8.79 tonnes per person | 3.05 tonnes per person | Poland |
| 1990s | 9.44 tonnes per person | 7.85 tonnes per person | 1.59 tonnes per person | Poland |
| 2000s | 8.44 tonnes per person | 8.62 tonnes per person | 0.1751 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 2010s | 8.5 tonnes per person | 8.28 tonnes per person | 0.2218 tonnes per person | Poland |
| 2020s | 7.84 tonnes per person | 7 tonnes per person | 0.8426 tonnes per person | Poland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions per capita, Poland or South Africa?
- Poland, at 7.08 tonnes per person against 6.87 tonnes per person in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions per capita between Poland and South Africa?
- 0.21 tonnes per person, with Poland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Poland and South Africa?
- 141 years are reported by both, from 1884 to 2024.
- How do Poland and South Africa rank globally for co₂ emissions per capita?
- Poland ranks 40th 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. 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.