Australia vs South Africa: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector
Australia
6.88 million tonnes
in 2023
South Africa
7.42 million tonnes
in 2023
Australia rank
22nd
South Africa rank
19th
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector over time
- Australia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 7.42 million tonnes against 6.88 million tonnes in Australia, a difference of 540,000 tonnes.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 19th of 179 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.75 million tonnes | 4.45 million tonnes | 705,000 tonnes | South Africa |
| 2000s | 5.65 million tonnes | 4.14 million tonnes | 1.51 million tonnes | Australia |
| 2010s | 6.65 million tonnes | 7.50 million tonnes | 851,000 tonnes | South Africa |
| 2020s | 6.90 million tonnes | 7.17 million tonnes | 265,000 tonnes | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher greenhouse gas emissions by sector, Australia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 7.42 million tonnes against 6.88 million tonnes in Australia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in greenhouse gas emissions by sector between Australia and South Africa?
- 540,000 tonnes, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Australia and South Africa rank globally for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Australia ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 19th of 179 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Greenhouse gas emissions by sector. 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 of carbon dioxide-equivalents.