Pakistan vs South Africa: Greenhouse gas emissions
Pakistan
473.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2024
South Africa
542.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2024
Pakistan rank
19th
South Africa rank
18th
Greenhouse gas emissions over time
- Pakistan
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 542.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents against 473.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in Pakistan, a difference of 68.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Pakistan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 175 shared years of data; in 1850 it was Pakistan ahead.
Pakistan ranks 19th and South Africa ranks 18th of 199 countries.
Across the 18 decades both report, Pakistan averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 13.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Pakistan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 17.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Pakistan |
| 1860s | 18.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Pakistan |
| 1870s | 19.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Pakistan |
| 1880s | 20.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 7.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Pakistan |
| 1890s | 21.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 21.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 242,310 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Pakistan |
| 1900s | 24.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 34.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1910s | 32.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 50.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 18.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1920s | 36.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 68.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 31.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1930s | 43.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 79.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 35.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1940s | 74.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 126.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 51.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1950s | 90.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 176.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 85.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1960s | 97.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 212.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 114.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1970s | 102.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 276.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 173.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1980s | 150.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 413.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 262.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1990s | 221.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 479.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 257.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 2000s | 301.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 545.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 243.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 2010s | 402.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 569.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 166.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 2020s | 487.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 540.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 53.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 542.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents against 473.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in Pakistan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in greenhouse gas emissions between Pakistan and South Africa?
- 68.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Pakistan and South Africa?
- 175 years are reported by both, from 1850 to 2024.
- How do Pakistan and South Africa rank globally for greenhouse gas emissions?
- Pakistan ranks 19th 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 Greenhouse gas emissions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.