Maldives vs South Africa: Carbon intensity of energy
Maldives
297.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
South Africa
313.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2024
Maldives rank
17th
South Africa rank
14th
Carbon intensity of energy over time
- Maldives
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 313.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour against 297.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in Maldives, a difference of 16.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Maldives's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Maldives ahead.
Maldives ranks 17th and South Africa ranks 14th of 200 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Maldives averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Maldives | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 478.24 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 348.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 129.69 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Maldives |
| 1990s | 309.01 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 316.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 7.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | South Africa |
| 2000s | 196.28 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 326.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 129.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | South Africa |
| 2010s | 213.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 324.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 111.14 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | South Africa |
| 2020s | 305.47 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 324.68 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 19.21 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher carbon intensity of energy, Maldives or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 313.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour against 297.4 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in Maldives as of 2024.
- What is the difference in carbon intensity of energy between Maldives and South Africa?
- 16.23 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Maldives and South Africa?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do Maldives and South Africa rank globally for carbon intensity of energy?
- Maldives ranks 17th and South Africa ranks 14th of 200 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Carbon intensity of energy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Fossil carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per unit of total energy supply, measured in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.