Iceland vs South Africa: Annual change in GDP and CO₂ emissions
Iceland
1.3%
in 2025
South Africa
1.1%
in 2025
Iceland rank
165th
South Africa rank
168th
Annual change in GDP and CO₂ emissions over time
- Iceland
- South Africa
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 1.3% against 1.1% in South Africa, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes Iceland's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 23 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1961 it was South Africa ahead.
Iceland ranks 165th and South Africa ranks 168th of 212 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.5% | 5.8% | 1.3% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 6.6% | 3.3% | 3.3% | Iceland |
| 1980s | 3.2% | 2.2% | 1.0% | Iceland |
| 1990s | 2.2% | 1.4% | 0.8% | Iceland |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 3.6% | 0.2% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.8% | Iceland |
| 2020s | 2.1% | 0.5% | 1.5% | Iceland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual change in gdp and co₂ emissions, Iceland or South Africa?
- Iceland, at 1.3% against 1.1% in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in annual change in gdp and co₂ emissions between Iceland and South Africa?
- 0.2%, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and South Africa?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2025.
- How do Iceland and South Africa rank globally for annual change in gdp and co₂ emissions?
- Iceland ranks 165th and South Africa ranks 168th of 212 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Annual change in GDP and CO₂ emissions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage change in gross domestic product (GDP) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.