Annual CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Annual CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre was 365.71 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
365.71 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
70th
of 192 countries
All-time high
437.7 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2008
All-time low
144.77 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1963
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Annual CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa is 365.71 tonnes per square kilometre, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 437.7 tonnes per square kilometre in 2008 and was at its lowest, 144.77 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1963.
That places South Africa 70th out of 192 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Annual CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 152.24 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 146.14 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.0% |
| 1963 | 144.77 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 149.96 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1965 | 155.46 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1966 | 163.7 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1967 | 172.19 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1968 | 177.48 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1969 | 182.65 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 188.41 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1971 | 203.43 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.0% |
| 1972 | 205.23 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 205.18 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 206.66 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 211.84 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 216.23 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 220.14 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 218.94 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 230.78 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1980 | 238.94 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 263.41 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.2% |
| 1982 | 282.11 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.1% |
| 1983 | 292.35 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1984 | 310.11 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1985 | 331.91 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.0% |
| 1986 | 329.48 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 331.13 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 347.1 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1989 | 347.92 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 324.9 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.6% |
| 1991 | 343.8 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 1992 | 327.12 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 1993 | 332.26 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 344.46 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 367.94 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.8% |
| 1996 | 365.77 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 379.4 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1998 | 371.22 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1999 | 368.59 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 362.98 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 354.35 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 335.07 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.4% |
| 2003 | 369.8 tonnes per square kilometre | +10.4% |
| 2004 | 405.13 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.6% |
| 2005 | 371.24 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.4% |
| 2006 | 399.72 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 2007 | 421.73 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 437.7 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 413.11 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.6% |
| 2010 | 396.84 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 399.31 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 389.87 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 382.76 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 400.74 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 2015 | 380.49 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.1% |
| 2016 | 378.48 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 361.83 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 374.32 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 390 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 361.13 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 364.94 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 356.52 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 363.07 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 365.71 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 365.71 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 261.01 tonnes per square kilometre, 1.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 365.71 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 107.03 tonnes per square kilometre, 3.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 160.51 tonnes per square kilometre | 144.77 tonnes per square kilometre | 182.65 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 210.68 tonnes per square kilometre | 188.41 tonnes per square kilometre | 230.78 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 307.45 tonnes per square kilometre | 238.94 tonnes per square kilometre | 347.92 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 352.55 tonnes per square kilometre | 324.9 tonnes per square kilometre | 379.4 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 387.08 tonnes per square kilometre | 335.07 tonnes per square kilometre | 437.7 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 385.46 tonnes per square kilometre | 361.83 tonnes per square kilometre | 400.74 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 362.27 tonnes per square kilometre | 356.52 tonnes per square kilometre | 365.71 tonnes per square kilometre | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 67 Spain 420.02 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 68 Cambodia 369.95 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 69 Bosnia and Herzegovina 367.27 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 71 Saudi Arabia 322.19 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 72 Hungary 320.75 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 73 Uzbekistan 315.71 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for South Africa
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 717.27 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 34,365 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,741 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 22,624 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 44.31 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 807.99 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,495 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 5,119 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 376.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 19.32 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Annual co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa was 365.71 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest annual co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 437.7 tonnes per square kilometre in 2008.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 144.77 tonnes per square kilometre in 1963.
- How does South Africa rank for annual co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 70th out of 192 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Annual CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Annual CO₂ emissions including land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Annual CO₂ emissions including land-use change ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Annual co2 including land use Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Annual CO₂ emissions including land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.