South Africa vs Vietnam: CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change
South Africa
443.64 million tonnes
in 2024
Vietnam
484.17 million tonnes
in 2024
South Africa rank
16th
Vietnam rank
15th
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change over time
- South Africa
- Vietnam
How they compare
Vietnam currently reports 484.17 million tonnes against 443.64 million tonnes in South Africa, a difference of 40.52 million tonnes.
That makes Vietnam's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 133 shared years of data; in 1892 it was Vietnam ahead.
South Africa ranks 16th and Vietnam ranks 15th of 194 countries.
Across the 14 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 10 and Vietnam in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Vietnam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 28.23 million tonnes | 65.75 million tonnes | 37.52 million tonnes | Vietnam |
| 1900s | 40.35 million tonnes | 69.84 million tonnes | 29.50 million tonnes | Vietnam |
| 1910s | 52.25 million tonnes | 57.80 million tonnes | 5.55 million tonnes | Vietnam |
| 1920s | 66.39 million tonnes | 16.64 million tonnes | 49.75 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1930s | 75.21 million tonnes | 6.37 million tonnes | 68.84 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1940s | 122.70 million tonnes | -268,314 tonnes | 122.97 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1950s | 167.98 million tonnes | 79.51 million tonnes | 88.47 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1960s | 195.90 million tonnes | 68.97 million tonnes | 126.92 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1970s | 255.58 million tonnes | 76.24 million tonnes | 179.34 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1980s | 372.96 million tonnes | 62.95 million tonnes | 310.01 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 1990s | 427.67 million tonnes | 146.67 million tonnes | 281.00 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2000s | 469.57 million tonnes | 242.56 million tonnes | 227.00 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2010s | 467.60 million tonnes | 373.48 million tonnes | 94.13 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2020s | 439.47 million tonnes | 458.00 million tonnes | 18.52 million tonnes | Vietnam |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change, South Africa or Vietnam?
- Vietnam, at 484.17 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 South Africa and Vietnam?
- 40.52 million tonnes, with Vietnam ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Vietnam?
- 133 years are reported by both, from 1892 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Vietnam rank globally for co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change?
- South Africa ranks 16th and Vietnam ranks 15th 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.