South Korea vs South Africa: Share of global greenhouse gas emissions
South Korea
1.2%
in 2024
South Africa
1.0%
in 2024
South Korea rank
15th
South Africa rank
18th
Share of global greenhouse gas emissions over time
- South Korea
- South Africa
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 1.2% against 1.0% in South Africa, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 175 shared years of data; in 1850 it was South Korea ahead.
South Korea ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 18th of 199 countries.
Across the 18 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 14.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | South Korea |
| 1860s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | South Korea |
| 1870s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | South Africa |
| 1880s | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | South Africa |
| 1890s | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.2% | South Africa |
| 1900s | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.3% | South Africa |
| 1910s | 0.1% | 0.5% | 0.4% | South Africa |
| 1920s | 0.2% | 0.6% | 0.4% | South Africa |
| 1930s | 0.2% | 0.6% | 0.5% | South Africa |
| 1940s | 0.2% | 0.9% | 0.7% | South Africa |
| 1950s | 0.2% | 0.9% | 0.7% | South Africa |
| 1960s | 0.2% | 0.9% | 0.7% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 0.4% | 0.9% | 0.5% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 0.6% | 1.2% | 0.6% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 1.2% | 0.2% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.2% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 0.2% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of global greenhouse gas emissions, South Korea or South Africa?
- South Korea, at 1.2% against 1.0% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of global greenhouse gas emissions between South Korea and South Africa?
- 0.2%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and South Africa?
- 175 years are reported by both, from 1850 to 2024.
- How do South Korea and South Africa rank globally for share of global greenhouse gas emissions?
- South Korea ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 18th of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of global greenhouse gas emissions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured as a percentage of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.