Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring in South Africa
South Africa: Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring was 4,963 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring in South Africa, 1994–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 4,963 tonnes for annual co₂ emissions from flaring in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 88.8% on the previous year and down 90.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from flaring in South Africa peaked at 293,147 tonnes in 2003 and was at its lowest, 4,963 tonnes, in 2024.
That places South Africa 96th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 169,723 tonnes | 115,268 tonnes | 245,989 tonnes | 6 |
| 2000s | 228,349 tonnes | 157,850 tonnes | 293,147 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 71,702 tonnes | 29,737 tonnes | 192,731 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 38,810 tonnes | 4,963 tonnes | 54,737 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More climate change data for South Africa
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.9% (2100)
- Population growth 1.1% (2025)
- Population, total 64.75 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.3% (2025)
- Urban population 41.32 million (2025)
- Urban population 63.8% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 6.87 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 22.83 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 6.87 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 6.87 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from flaring in South Africa?
- Annual co₂ emissions from flaring in South Africa was 4,963 tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual co₂ emissions from flaring recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 293,147 tonnes in 2003.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from flaring recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,963 tonnes in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for annual co₂ emissions from flaring?
- South Africa ranks 96th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from flaring rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 90.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from flaring, measured in tonnes.