South Africa vs Spain: Consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita vs. Human Development Index
South Africa
5.15 tonnes per person
in 2023
Spain
5.44 tonnes per person
in 2023
South Africa rank
57th
Spain rank
55th
Consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita vs. Human Development Index over time
- South Africa
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 5.44 tonnes per person against 5.15 tonnes per person in South Africa, a difference of 0.29 tonnes per person.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 9 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 57th and Spain ranks 55th of 120 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and Spain in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.85 tonnes per person | 7.22 tonnes per person | 0.6313 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 2000s | 6.23 tonnes per person | 8.72 tonnes per person | 2.5 tonnes per person | Spain |
| 2010s | 6.35 tonnes per person | 6.32 tonnes per person | 0.0376 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 2020s | 5.28 tonnes per person | 5.58 tonnes per person | 0.2979 tonnes per person | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita vs. human development index, South Africa or Spain?
- Spain, at 5.44 tonnes per person against 5.15 tonnes per person in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita vs. human development index between South Africa and Spain?
- 0.29 tonnes per person, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita vs. human development index?
- South Africa ranks 57th and Spain ranks 55th of 120 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita vs. Human Development Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual consumption-based emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), measured in tonnes per person.