China vs South Africa: Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal
China
6.26 tonnes per person
in 2024
South Africa
5.8 tonnes per person
in 2024
China rank
5th
South Africa rank
7th
Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
China currently reports 6.26 tonnes per person against 5.8 tonnes per person in South Africa, a difference of 0.46 tonnes per person.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 118 shared years of data; in 1907 it was South Africa ahead.
China ranks 5th and South Africa ranks 7th of 179 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0.0539 tonnes per person | 2.3 tonnes per person | 2.24 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1910s | 0.0631 tonnes per person | 2.99 tonnes per person | 2.93 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1920s | 0.0942 tonnes per person | 3.51 tonnes per person | 3.41 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1930s | 0.1243 tonnes per person | 3.22 tonnes per person | 3.1 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1940s | 0.147 tonnes per person | 4.4 tonnes per person | 4.26 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1950s | 0.3912 tonnes per person | 4.89 tonnes per person | 4.5 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1960s | 0.6611 tonnes per person | 5.51 tonnes per person | 4.85 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1970s | 0.9703 tonnes per person | 5.78 tonnes per person | 4.81 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1980s | 1.42 tonnes per person | 7.41 tonnes per person | 5.99 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1990s | 1.95 tonnes per person | 6.87 tonnes per person | 4.92 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 2000s | 3.21 tonnes per person | 7.5 tonnes per person | 4.29 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 2010s | 5.22 tonnes per person | 7.07 tonnes per person | 1.84 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 2020s | 5.87 tonnes per person | 5.88 tonnes per person | 0.0138 tonnes per person | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher per capita co₂ emissions from coal, China or South Africa?
- China, at 6.26 tonnes per person against 5.8 tonnes per person in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in per capita co₂ emissions from coal between China and South Africa?
- 0.46 tonnes per person, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 118 years are reported by both, from 1907 to 2024.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for per capita co₂ emissions from coal?
- China ranks 5th and South Africa ranks 7th of 179 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 Per capita CO₂ emissions from coal. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured in tonnes per person.