Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP in South Africa
South Africa: Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP was 0.5926 kilograms per international-$ in 2022. ▼ Falling
Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP in South Africa, 1950–2022
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per international-$.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.5926 kilograms per international-$ for carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 73 years on record.
The figure is down 4.4% on the previous year and down 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in South Africa peaked at 1.51 kilograms per international-$ in 1986 and was at its lowest, 0.5926 kilograms per international-$, in 2022.
That places South Africa 9th out of 164 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 73 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.17 kilograms per international-$ | 1.11 kilograms per international-$ | 1.24 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.1 kilograms per international-$ | 1.03 kilograms per international-$ | 1.16 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.08 kilograms per international-$ | 1.02 kilograms per international-$ | 1.14 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.38 kilograms per international-$ | 1.11 kilograms per international-$ | 1.51 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.26 kilograms per international-$ | 1.12 kilograms per international-$ | 1.37 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.927 kilograms per international-$ | 0.8256 kilograms per international-$ | 1.06 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6791 kilograms per international-$ | 0.6209 kilograms per international-$ | 0.7692 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6188 kilograms per international-$ | 0.5926 kilograms per international-$ | 0.6441 kilograms per international-$ | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 6 Libya 0.6449 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 7 Bahrain 0.6436 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 8 Syria 0.6002 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 10 Kazakhstan 0.5447 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 11 Lesotho 0.5358 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 12 Kuwait 0.5291 kilograms per international-$ compare
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 carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in South Africa?
- Carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in South Africa was 0.5926 kilograms per international-$ in 2022, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.51 kilograms per international-$ in 1986.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5926 kilograms per international-$ in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp?
- South Africa ranks 9th out of 164 countries with data for 2022.
- Is carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in kilograms per dollar of GDP (2011 international-$).