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
Latest (2022)
0.5926 kilograms per international-$
Change on year
down 4.4%
World rank
9th
of 164 countries
All-time high
1.51 kilograms per international-$
in 1986
All-time low
0.5926 kilograms per international-$
in 2022
Years of data
73
1950–2022
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-$, in 2022.
That places South Africa 9th out of 164 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 73 years of available data.
Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP in South Africa, year by year
| Year | kilograms per international-$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.11 kilograms per international-$ | — |
| 1951 | 1.13 kilograms per international-$ | +2.0% |
| 1952 | 1.19 kilograms per international-$ | +5.1% |
| 1953 | 1.14 kilograms per international-$ | -4.3% |
| 1954 | 1.12 kilograms per international-$ | -1.7% |
| 1955 | 1.2 kilograms per international-$ | +6.9% |
| 1956 | 1.19 kilograms per international-$ | -0.3% |
| 1957 | 1.18 kilograms per international-$ | -1.0% |
| 1958 | 1.24 kilograms per international-$ | +5.2% |
| 1959 | 1.17 kilograms per international-$ | -6.0% |
| 1960 | 1.16 kilograms per international-$ | -0.6% |
| 1961 | 1.16 kilograms per international-$ | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 1.14 kilograms per international-$ | -2.0% |
| 1963 | 1.1 kilograms per international-$ | -3.3% |
| 1964 | 1.12 kilograms per international-$ | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 1.14 kilograms per international-$ | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 1.09 kilograms per international-$ | -4.1% |
| 1967 | 1.06 kilograms per international-$ | -2.4% |
| 1968 | 1.05 kilograms per international-$ | -1.2% |
| 1969 | 1.03 kilograms per international-$ | -2.3% |
| 1970 | 1.02 kilograms per international-$ | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 1.09 kilograms per international-$ | +7.3% |
| 1972 | 1.09 kilograms per international-$ | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 1.06 kilograms per international-$ | -3.0% |
| 1974 | 1.02 kilograms per international-$ | -3.6% |
| 1975 | 1.05 kilograms per international-$ | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 1.07 kilograms per international-$ | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 1.11 kilograms per international-$ | +3.7% |
| 1978 | 1.09 kilograms per international-$ | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 1.14 kilograms per international-$ | +4.2% |
| 1980 | 1.11 kilograms per international-$ | -2.0% |
| 1981 | 1.19 kilograms per international-$ | +7.0% |
| 1982 | 1.31 kilograms per international-$ | +9.5% |
| 1983 | 1.39 kilograms per international-$ | +6.0% |
| 1984 | 1.43 kilograms per international-$ | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 1.48 kilograms per international-$ | +3.9% |
| 1986 | 1.51 kilograms per international-$ | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 1.47 kilograms per international-$ | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 1.47 kilograms per international-$ | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 1.44 kilograms per international-$ | -2.6% |
| 1990 | 1.33 kilograms per international-$ | -7.3% |
| 1991 | 1.37 kilograms per international-$ | +3.0% |
| 1992 | 1.26 kilograms per international-$ | -7.8% |
| 1993 | 1.3 kilograms per international-$ | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 1.29 kilograms per international-$ | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 1.3 kilograms per international-$ | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 1.23 kilograms per international-$ | -6.0% |
| 1997 | 1.23 kilograms per international-$ | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 1.18 kilograms per international-$ | -4.6% |
| 1999 | 1.12 kilograms per international-$ | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 1.06 kilograms per international-$ | -5.2% |
| 2001 | 0.9912 kilograms per international-$ | -6.7% |
| 2002 | 0.8999 kilograms per international-$ | -9.2% |
| 2003 | 0.9775 kilograms per international-$ | +8.6% |
| 2004 | 1.02 kilograms per international-$ | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 0.8852 kilograms per international-$ | -13.5% |
| 2006 | 0.8836 kilograms per international-$ | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 0.8565 kilograms per international-$ | -3.1% |
| 2008 | 0.8653 kilograms per international-$ | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 0.8256 kilograms per international-$ | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 0.7692 kilograms per international-$ | -6.8% |
| 2011 | 0.7349 kilograms per international-$ | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 0.6982 kilograms per international-$ | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 0.6736 kilograms per international-$ | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 0.7012 kilograms per international-$ | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 0.6574 kilograms per international-$ | -6.3% |
| 2016 | 0.6524 kilograms per international-$ | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 0.6209 kilograms per international-$ | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 0.6307 kilograms per international-$ | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 0.6523 kilograms per international-$ | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 0.6441 kilograms per international-$ | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 0.6198 kilograms per international-$ | -3.8% |
| 2022 | 0.5926 kilograms per international-$ | -4.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.5926 kilograms per international-$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.2348 kilograms per international-$, 2.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.5926 kilograms per international-$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.158 kilograms per international-$, 3.8× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.17 kilograms per international-$ | 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
- 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 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-$).