South Africa vs Vietnam: Greenhouse gas emissions
South Africa
542.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2024
Vietnam
583.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2024
South Africa rank
18th
Vietnam rank
17th
Greenhouse gas emissions over time
- South Africa
- Vietnam
How they compare
Vietnam currently reports 583.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents against 542.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in South Africa, a difference of 40.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
That makes Vietnam's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 175 shared years of data; in 1850 it was Vietnam ahead.
South Africa ranks 18th and Vietnam ranks 17th of 199 countries.
Across the 18 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 10 and Vietnam in 8.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Vietnam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 3.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 33.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 29.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1860s | 5.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 34.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 29.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1870s | 14.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 51.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 37.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1880s | 13.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 67.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 53.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1890s | 21.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 77.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 55.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1900s | 34.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 82.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 48.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1910s | 50.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 76.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 25.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
| 1920s | 68.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 48.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 19.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1930s | 79.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 38.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 40.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1940s | 126.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 34.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 91.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1950s | 176.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 100.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 75.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1960s | 212.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 113.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 98.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1970s | 276.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 125.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 150.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1980s | 413.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 118.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 295.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 1990s | 479.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 202.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 276.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 2000s | 545.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 315.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 229.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 2010s | 569.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 458.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 111.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | South Africa |
| 2020s | 540.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 559.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 18.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Vietnam |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher greenhouse gas emissions, South Africa or Vietnam?
- Vietnam, at 583.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents against 542.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in greenhouse gas emissions between South Africa and Vietnam?
- 40.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, with Vietnam ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Vietnam?
- 175 years are reported by both, from 1850 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Vietnam rank globally for greenhouse gas emissions?
- South Africa ranks 18th and Vietnam ranks 17th 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.