Germany vs South Africa: CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change
Germany
567.34 million tonnes
in 2024
South Africa
443.64 million tonnes
in 2024
Germany rank
13th
South Africa rank
16th
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change over time
- Germany
- South Africa
How they compare
Germany currently reports 567.34 million tonnes against 443.64 million tonnes in South Africa, a difference of 123.70 million tonnes.
That makes Germany's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 141 shared years of data; in 1884 it was Germany ahead.
Germany ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 16th of 194 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 | 188.14 million tonnes | 15.07 million tonnes | 173.07 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1890s | 263.10 million tonnes | 26.62 million tonnes | 236.48 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1900s | 408.76 million tonnes | 40.35 million tonnes | 368.41 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1910s | 497.17 million tonnes | 52.25 million tonnes | 444.92 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1920s | 464.42 million tonnes | 66.39 million tonnes | 398.03 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1930s | 488.83 million tonnes | 75.21 million tonnes | 413.62 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1940s | 487.45 million tonnes | 122.70 million tonnes | 364.75 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1950s | 642.00 million tonnes | 167.98 million tonnes | 474.02 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1960s | 883.49 million tonnes | 195.90 million tonnes | 687.59 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1970s | 1.02 billion tonnes | 255.58 million tonnes | 768.77 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1980s | 1.01 billion tonnes | 372.96 million tonnes | 638.43 million tonnes | Germany |
| 1990s | 942.24 million tonnes | 427.67 million tonnes | 514.57 million tonnes | Germany |
| 2000s | 861.29 million tonnes | 469.57 million tonnes | 391.72 million tonnes | Germany |
| 2010s | 787.33 million tonnes | 467.60 million tonnes | 319.72 million tonnes | Germany |
| 2020s | 627.20 million tonnes | 439.47 million tonnes | 187.73 million tonnes | Germany |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change, Germany or South Africa?
- Germany, at 567.34 million tonnes against 443.64 million tonnes in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change between Germany and South Africa?
- 123.70 million tonnes, with Germany 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 from fossil fuels and land-use change?
- Germany ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 16th of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), including land-use change, measured in tonnes.