South Africa vs United Kingdom: Territorial and consumption-based CO₂ emissions
South Africa
439.83 million tonnes
in 2024
United Kingdom
312.91 million tonnes
in 2024
South Africa rank
15th
United Kingdom rank
18th
Territorial and consumption-based CO₂ emissions over time
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 439.83 million tonnes against 312.91 million tonnes in United Kingdom, a difference of 126.92 million tonnes.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.4 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 141 shared years of data; in 1884 it was United Kingdom ahead.
South Africa ranks 15th and United Kingdom ranks 18th of 215 countries.
Across the 15 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom in 13.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 61,067 tonnes | 324.24 million tonnes | 324.18 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1890s | 2.92 million tonnes | 367.37 million tonnes | 364.45 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1900s | 9.07 million tonnes | 441.17 million tonnes | 432.10 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1910s | 19.71 million tonnes | 480.92 million tonnes | 461.21 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1920s | 27.64 million tonnes | 434.26 million tonnes | 406.62 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1930s | 31.50 million tonnes | 453.04 million tonnes | 421.54 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1940s | 52.30 million tonnes | 488.65 million tonnes | 436.35 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1950s | 79.22 million tonnes | 548.40 million tonnes | 469.18 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 120.61 million tonnes | 604.38 million tonnes | 483.77 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 183.77 million tonnes | 629.32 million tonnes | 445.55 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 303.96 million tonnes | 561.41 million tonnes | 257.44 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 346.21 million tonnes | 580.47 million tonnes | 234.25 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 425.73 million tonnes | 558.91 million tonnes | 133.18 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 461.99 million tonnes | 433.93 million tonnes | 28.07 million tonnes | South Africa |
| 2020s | 436.00 million tonnes | 320.10 million tonnes | 115.90 million tonnes | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher territorial and consumption-based co₂ emissions, South Africa or United Kingdom?
- South Africa, at 439.83 million tonnes against 312.91 million tonnes in United Kingdom as of 2024.
- What is the difference in territorial and consumption-based co₂ emissions between South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 126.92 million tonnes, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 141 years are reported by both, from 1884 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and United Kingdom rank globally for territorial and consumption-based co₂ emissions?
- South Africa ranks 15th and United Kingdom ranks 18th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Territorial and consumption-based CO₂ emissions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in tonnes.