Ireland vs South Africa: Territorial vs. consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita
Ireland
6.34 tonnes per person
in 2024
South Africa
6.87 tonnes per person
in 2024
Ireland rank
45th
South Africa rank
42nd
Territorial vs. consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita over time
- Ireland
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 6.87 tonnes per person against 6.34 tonnes per person in Ireland, a difference of 0.53 tonnes per person.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 12 times across 75 shared years of data; in 1950 it was South Africa ahead.
Ireland ranks 45th and South Africa ranks 42nd of 213 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.53 tonnes per person | 5.46 tonnes per person | 1.93 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1960s | 5.07 tonnes per person | 6.36 tonnes per person | 1.3 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1970s | 7.24 tonnes per person | 7.23 tonnes per person | 0.0104 tonnes per person | Ireland |
| 1980s | 7.84 tonnes per person | 8.79 tonnes per person | 0.9491 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 1990s | 10.05 tonnes per person | 7.85 tonnes per person | 2.2 tonnes per person | Ireland |
| 2000s | 11.22 tonnes per person | 8.62 tonnes per person | 2.6 tonnes per person | Ireland |
| 2010s | 8.21 tonnes per person | 8.28 tonnes per person | 0.066 tonnes per person | South Africa |
| 2020s | 6.89 tonnes per person | 7 tonnes per person | 0.1045 tonnes per person | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher territorial vs. consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita, Ireland or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 6.87 tonnes per person against 6.34 tonnes per person in Ireland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in territorial vs. consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita between Ireland and South Africa?
- 0.53 tonnes per person, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and South Africa?
- 75 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2024.
- How do Ireland and South Africa rank globally for territorial vs. consumption-based co₂ emissions per capita?
- Ireland ranks 45th and South Africa ranks 42nd of 213 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 Territorial vs. consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes. This includes emissions from transport, electricity generation, and heating, but not land-use change.