South Africa vs Taiwan: CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry
South Africa
55.09 million tonnes
in 2024
Taiwan
51.60 million tonnes
in 2024
South Africa rank
35th
Taiwan rank
37th
CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry over time
- South Africa
- Taiwan
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 55.09 million tonnes against 51.60 million tonnes in Taiwan, a difference of 3.49 million tonnes.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Taiwan's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 129 shared years of data; in 1896 it was Taiwan ahead.
South Africa ranks 35th and Taiwan ranks 37th of 215 countries.
Across the 14 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 4 and Taiwan in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Taiwan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1900s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1910s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1920s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1930s | 0 tonnes | 3,664 tonnes | 3,664 tonnes | Taiwan |
| 1940s | 0 tonnes | 10,990 tonnes | 10,990 tonnes | Taiwan |
| 1950s | 7.14 million tonnes | 1.34 million tonnes | 5.81 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1960s | 14.59 million tonnes | 5.15 million tonnes | 9.44 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1970s | 33.59 million tonnes | 32.54 million tonnes | 1.04 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1980s | 43.95 million tonnes | 49.39 million tonnes | 5.45 million tonnes | Taiwan |
| 1990s | 35.63 million tonnes | 79.35 million tonnes | 43.72 million tonnes | Taiwan |
| 2000s | 44.97 million tonnes | 84.54 million tonnes | 39.57 million tonnes | Taiwan |
| 2010s | 53.55 million tonnes | 65.25 million tonnes | 11.70 million tonnes | Taiwan |
| 2020s | 56.08 million tonnes | 52.73 million tonnes | 3.35 million tonnes | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions by fuel or industry, South Africa or Taiwan?
- South Africa, at 55.09 million tonnes against 51.60 million tonnes in Taiwan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions by fuel or industry between South Africa and Taiwan?
- 3.49 million tonnes, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Taiwan?
- 129 years are reported by both, from 1896 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Taiwan rank globally for co₂ emissions by fuel or industry?
- South Africa ranks 35th and Taiwan ranks 37th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from oil, measured in tonnes.