Annual Net Emissions/Removals in South Africa

South Africa: Annual Net Emissions/Removals was 487.94 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
487.94
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
19th
of 212 countries
All-time high
546.12
in 2009
All-time low
314.68
in 1971
Years of data
55
1970–2024

Annual Net Emissions/Removals in South Africa, 1970–2024

0200400600197019972024

Source: International Monetary Fund.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 487.94 for annual net emissions/removals in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual net emissions/removals in South Africa peaked at 546.12 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 314.68, in 1971.

That places South Africa 19th out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.

Annual Net Emissions/Removals in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Annual Net Emissions/Removals (Greenhouse gas, Total, Metric ton of CO₂) in South Africa, 1970 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1970 318.22
1971 314.68 -1.1%
1972 324.2 +3.0%
1973 343.02 +5.8%
1974 352.34 +2.7%
1975 368.61 +4.6%
1976 383.36 +4.0%
1977 375.08 -2.2%
1978 349.89 -6.7%
1979 351.94 +0.6%
1980 354.29 +0.7%
1981 363.23 +2.5%
1982 359.94 -0.9%
1983 355.18 -1.3%
1984 383.7 +8.0%
1985 384.6 +0.2%
1986 375.87 -2.3%
1987 395.97 +5.3%
1988 401.17 +1.3%
1989 411.27 +2.5%
1990 427.49 +3.9%
1991 424.67 -0.7%
1992 422.13 -0.6%
1993 446.79 +5.8%
1994 452.56 +1.3%
1995 467.49 +3.3%
1996 479.1 +2.5%
1997 498.55 +4.1%
1998 504.04 +1.1%
1999 483.18 -4.1%
2000 488.35 +1.1%
2001 487.58 -0.2%
2002 496.39 +1.8%
2003 511.94 +3.1%
2004 523.65 +2.3%
2005 521.26 -0.5%
2006 511.92 -1.8%
2007 533.53 +4.2%
2008 530.66 -0.5%
2009 546.12 +2.9%
2010 524.67 -3.9%
2011 524.17 -0.1%
2012 533.45 +1.8%
2013 521.45 -2.2%
2014 521.91 +0.1%
2015 512.5 -1.8%
2016 508.14 -0.9%
2017 500.16 -1.6%
2018 500.38 +0.0%
2019 497.48 -0.6%
2020 469.75 -5.6%
2021 485.37 +3.3%
2022 475.71 -2.0%
2023 476.25 +0.1%
2024 487.94 +2.5%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 487.94 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 41.44, 11.8× the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 487.94 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 21.78, 22.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 348.13 314.68 383.36 10
1980s 378.52 354.29 411.27 10
1990s 460.6 422.13 504.04 10
2000s 515.14 487.58 546.12 10
2010s 514.43 497.48 533.45 10
2020s 479 469.75 487.94 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 16 Viet Nam 584.26 compare
  2. 17 Australia 531.86 compare
  3. 18 Pakistan 525.88 compare
  4. 20 Egypt 426.57 compare
  5. 21 Iraq 413.28 compare
  6. 22 Thailand 384.75 compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More climate change data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual net emissions/removals in South Africa?
Annual net emissions/removals in South Africa was 487.94 in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund.
What is the highest annual net emissions/removals recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 546.12 in 2009.
What is the lowest annual net emissions/removals recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 314.68 in 1971.
How does South Africa rank for annual net emissions/removals?
South Africa ranks 19th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is annual net emissions/removals rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Annual Net Emissions/Removals (Greenhouse gas, Total, Metric ton of CO₂). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Annual Net Emissions/Removals in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/annual-net-emissions-removals-greenhouse-gas-total-metric-ton-of-co2/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Annual Net Emissions/Removals (Greenhouse gas, Total, Metric ton of CO₂)
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
232 places, 12,760 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

This dataset provides National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories by the sector of origin and National Mitigation Targets as determined by the countries. Annual country-level estimates of net emissions/removals for 215 countries are presented by six sectors, 14 sub-sectors and four gases, for the years 1970-2021. To facilitate retrieval and use, two aggregated indicators, Total GHG emissions including land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) and Total GHG emissions excluding land-use, land-use change and forestry are presented in addition to the sector-level information. Annual country-level projections of emissions, assuming business-as-usual, are presented for three categories – CO2 emission, GHG emissions excluding LULUCF and GHG emissions including LULUCF – for the years 2022- 2030. National mitigation targets, or the implied targets, as estimated from the Nationally Determined Contributions are presented for the year 2030. Both the conditional, where applicable, and unconditional targets have been presented, along with an average of the two targets. Corresponding aggregates are presented for the above indicators by region and sub-region according to the M49 and the World Economic Outlook Classifications. Estimates of emissions are in million metric tons of CO2 equivalent.