Nigeria vs South Africa: CO₂ emissions from transport
Nigeria
55.59 million tonnes
in 2023
South Africa
47.84 million tonnes
in 2023
Nigeria rank
24th
South Africa rank
26th
CO₂ emissions from transport over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 55.59 million tonnes against 47.84 million tonnes in South Africa, a difference of 7.75 million tonnes.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.
Nigeria ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 26th of 191 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Nigeria averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.65 million tonnes | 32.57 million tonnes | 15.92 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2000s | 25.79 million tonnes | 41.66 million tonnes | 15.87 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2010s | 45.17 million tonnes | 51.45 million tonnes | 6.28 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2020s | 56.26 million tonnes | 47.00 million tonnes | 9.26 million tonnes | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions from transport, Nigeria or South Africa?
- Nigeria, at 55.59 million tonnes against 47.84 million tonnes in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions from transport between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 7.75 million tonnes, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for co₂ emissions from transport?
- Nigeria ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 26th of 191 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions from transport. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes.