CO₂ emissions by sector in South Africa
South Africa: CO₂ emissions by sector was 15.88 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
15.88 million tonnes
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
32nd
of 187 countries
All-time high
33.98 million tonnes
in 2017
All-time low
9.19 million tonnes
in 2000
Years of data
34
1990–2023
CO₂ emissions by sector in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for co₂ emissions by sector in South Africa is 15.88 million tonnes, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 39.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions by sector in South Africa peaked at 33.98 million tonnes in 2017 and was at its lowest, 9.19 million tonnes, in 2000.
That places South Africa 32nd out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions by sector in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 11.32 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 11.82 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 11.73 million tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 14.90 million tonnes | +27.0% |
| 1994 | 13.98 million tonnes | -6.2% |
| 1995 | 12.32 million tonnes | -11.9% |
| 1996 | 10.93 million tonnes | -11.3% |
| 1997 | 11.25 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 10.71 million tonnes | -4.8% |
| 1999 | 9.65 million tonnes | -9.9% |
| 2000 | 9.19 million tonnes | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 12.81 million tonnes | +39.4% |
| 2002 | 15.77 million tonnes | +23.1% |
| 2003 | 17.58 million tonnes | +11.5% |
| 2004 | 19.91 million tonnes | +13.3% |
| 2005 | 21.52 million tonnes | +8.1% |
| 2006 | 24.17 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 2007 | 29.95 million tonnes | +23.9% |
| 2008 | 32.39 million tonnes | +8.1% |
| 2009 | 31.24 million tonnes | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 13.87 million tonnes | -55.6% |
| 2011 | 16.27 million tonnes | +17.3% |
| 2012 | 24.98 million tonnes | +53.5% |
| 2013 | 26.14 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2014 | 26.45 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 23.46 million tonnes | -11.3% |
| 2016 | 21.13 million tonnes | -9.9% |
| 2017 | 33.98 million tonnes | +60.8% |
| 2018 | 25.26 million tonnes | -25.7% |
| 2019 | 17.24 million tonnes | -31.7% |
| 2020 | 16.11 million tonnes | -6.6% |
| 2021 | 16.08 million tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 15.85 million tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 15.88 million tonnes | +0.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 15.88 million tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.35 million tonnes, 11.8× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 15.88 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 170,000 tonnes, 93.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.86 million tonnes | 9.65 million tonnes | 14.90 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.45 million tonnes | 9.19 million tonnes | 32.39 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.88 million tonnes | 13.87 million tonnes | 33.98 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.98 million tonnes | 15.85 million tonnes | 16.11 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 co₂ emissions by sector in South Africa?
- Co₂ emissions by sector in South Africa was 15.88 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 33.98 million tonnes in 2017.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.19 million tonnes in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for co₂ emissions by sector?
- South Africa ranks 32nd out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes.