Share of global CO₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa
South Africa: Share of global CO₂ emissions from land-use change was 0.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.1%
Change on year
up 3.0%
World rank
78th
of 197 countries
All-time high
1.6%
in 1992
All-time low
-0.0%
in 2017
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Share of global CO₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa, 1850–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of global co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa stood at 0.1%.
The figure is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of global co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa peaked at 1.6% in 1992 and was at its lowest, -0.0%, in 2017.
That places South Africa 78th out of 197 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.
Share of global CO₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 0.1% | — |
| 1851 | 0.1% | +4.9% |
| 1852 | 0.1% | +2.7% |
| 1853 | 0.1% | +2.8% |
| 1854 | 0.1% | +1.7% |
| 1855 | 0.1% | +1.4% |
| 1856 | 0.1% | +2.1% |
| 1857 | 0.1% | +0.7% |
| 1858 | 0.1% | +0.9% |
| 1859 | 0.1% | +0.1% |
| 1860 | 0.1% | +36.7% |
| 1861 | 0.2% | +15.2% |
| 1862 | 0.2% | +9.6% |
| 1863 | 0.2% | +5.8% |
| 1864 | 0.2% | +2.4% |
| 1865 | 0.2% | +5.4% |
| 1866 | 0.2% | +2.3% |
| 1867 | 0.2% | +2.8% |
| 1868 | 0.2% | +1.9% |
| 1869 | 0.2% | +1.4% |
| 1870 | 0.4% | +81.1% |
| 1871 | 0.5% | +23.5% |
| 1872 | 0.6% | +7.9% |
| 1873 | 0.6% | +6.7% |
| 1874 | 0.6% | +3.1% |
| 1875 | 0.6% | +4.1% |
| 1876 | 0.7% | +1.6% |
| 1877 | 0.7% | +0.5% |
| 1878 | 0.7% | +1.0% |
| 1879 | 0.7% | -0.0% |
| 1880 | 0.6% | -16.5% |
| 1881 | 0.5% | -9.2% |
| 1882 | 0.5% | -8.3% |
| 1883 | 0.4% | -6.0% |
| 1884 | 0.4% | -2.8% |
| 1885 | 0.4% | -3.2% |
| 1886 | 0.4% | -2.0% |
| 1887 | 0.4% | -3.1% |
| 1888 | 0.4% | -1.3% |
| 1889 | 0.4% | -2.0% |
| 1890 | 0.5% | +21.6% |
| 1891 | 0.5% | +9.0% |
| 1892 | 0.5% | +7.4% |
| 1893 | 0.6% | +3.6% |
| 1894 | 0.6% | +0.8% |
| 1895 | 0.6% | +2.9% |
| 1896 | 0.6% | +1.6% |
| 1897 | 0.6% | -0.2% |
| 1898 | 0.6% | +1.0% |
| 1899 | 0.6% | +0.5% |
| 1900 | 0.6% | +7.2% |
| 1901 | 0.6% | +1.4% |
| 1902 | 0.7% | +1.9% |
| 1903 | 0.7% | +1.0% |
| 1904 | 0.7% | -0.5% |
| 1905 | 0.7% | +0.8% |
| 1906 | 0.7% | -0.5% |
| 1907 | 0.7% | +0.9% |
| 1908 | 0.7% | -0.0% |
| 1909 | 0.7% | -0.8% |
| 1910 | 0.7% | +2.6% |
| 1911 | 0.7% | +0.4% |
| 1912 | 0.7% | +2.0% |
| 1913 | 0.7% | +1.4% |
| 1914 | 0.7% | -0.4% |
| 1915 | 0.7% | +1.7% |
| 1916 | 0.7% | +0.3% |
| 1917 | 0.7% | +2.3% |
| 1918 | 0.7% | +1.2% |
| 1919 | 0.7% | +0.5% |
| 1920 | 0.7% | -0.9% |
| 1921 | 0.7% | -0.2% |
| 1922 | 0.7% | +1.7% |
| 1923 | 0.7% | -0.7% |
| 1924 | 0.8% | +2.7% |
| 1925 | 0.8% | -1.5% |
| 1926 | 0.8% | +0.7% |
| 1927 | 0.8% | +0.6% |
| 1928 | 0.8% | -0.6% |
| 1929 | 0.8% | -0.1% |
| 1930 | 0.8% | +1.7% |
| 1931 | 0.8% | +0.2% |
| 1932 | 0.8% | +0.3% |
| 1933 | 0.8% | +1.8% |
| 1934 | 0.8% | +0.5% |
| 1935 | 0.8% | +1.2% |
| 1936 | 0.8% | -2.1% |
| 1937 | 0.8% | +1.1% |
| 1938 | 0.8% | -0.3% |
| 1939 | 0.8% | +0.7% |
| 1940 | 1.0% | +23.2% |
| 1941 | 1.1% | +8.3% |
| 1942 | 1.1% | +6.2% |
| 1943 | 1.2% | +4.6% |
| 1944 | 1.2% | +4.0% |
| 1945 | 1.2% | +2.0% |
| 1946 | 1.3% | +2.5% |
| 1947 | 1.3% | +2.4% |
| 1948 | 1.3% | +2.3% |
| 1949 | 1.4% | +2.0% |
| 1950 | 1.2% | -15.1% |
| 1951 | 1.2% | -0.6% |
| 1952 | 1.2% | +2.0% |
| 1953 | 1.2% | +1.6% |
| 1954 | 1.1% | -4.4% |
| 1955 | 1.1% | -1.0% |
| 1956 | 1.1% | +0.6% |
| 1957 | 1.1% | -2.0% |
| 1958 | 1.1% | +2.2% |
| 1959 | 1.1% | -4.7% |
| 1960 | 1.4% | +31.1% |
| 1961 | 1.1% | -24.2% |
| 1962 | 1.0% | -7.3% |
| 1963 | 0.9% | -5.5% |
| 1964 | 0.9% | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 0.9% | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 1.2% | +25.6% |
| 1967 | 1.2% | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 1.2% | +1.7% |
| 1969 | 1.1% | -7.6% |
| 1970 | 1.2% | +4.4% |
| 1971 | 1.3% | +8.2% |
| 1972 | 1.2% | -5.8% |
| 1973 | 1.2% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 1.2% | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 1.2% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 1.1% | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 1.0% | -11.2% |
| 1978 | 1.0% | -4.5% |
| 1979 | 1.0% | +7.8% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 1.1% | +4.2% |
| 1982 | 1.1% | +4.4% |
| 1983 | 1.1% | -3.8% |
| 1984 | 0.9% | -12.2% |
| 1985 | 1.2% | +23.1% |
| 1986 | 1.0% | -14.1% |
| 1987 | 1.1% | +12.8% |
| 1988 | 1.3% | +13.3% |
| 1989 | 1.4% | +6.8% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 1.6% | +14.2% |
| 1992 | 1.6% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | -9.9% |
| 1994 | 1.2% | -17.7% |
| 1995 | 1.3% | +13.6% |
| 1996 | 1.2% | -9.3% |
| 1997 | 0.9% | -23.5% |
| 1998 | 1.1% | +14.9% |
| 1999 | 1.1% | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | -8.4% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | +5.8% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -23.1% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | -26.4% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | +8.3% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | -12.0% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | +9.8% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | +31.7% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | -26.7% |
| 2009 | 0.4% | -33.2% |
| 2010 | 0.2% | -47.1% |
| 2011 | 0.2% | -26.5% |
| 2012 | 0.2% | +8.7% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | -25.2% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -45.5% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | -10.2% |
| 2016 | 0.0% | -38.5% |
| 2017 | -0.0% | -152.3% |
| 2018 | 0.0% | -132.3% |
| 2019 | 0.0% | +644.6% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | +26.3% |
| 2021 | 0.1% | +13.2% |
| 2022 | 0.1% | +11.3% |
| 2023 | 0.1% | +4.1% |
| 2024 | 0.1% | +3.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0%, 2668.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.2%, 49% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of global CO₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +644.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2017 | -152.3% | 0.0% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | +132.3% | -0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1870 | +81.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| 2010 | -47.1% | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| 2014 | -45.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.3% | 0.9% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | -0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 5 |
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 share of global co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa?
- Share of global co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa was 0.1% in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of global co₂ emissions from land-use change recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 1992.
- What is the lowest share of global co₂ emissions from land-use change recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.0% in 2017.
- How does South Africa rank for share of global co₂ emissions from land-use change?
- South Africa ranks 78th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of global co₂ emissions from land-use change rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. 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 Share of global CO₂ emissions from land-use change. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from land-use change, measured as a percentage of global emissions of CO₂ from land-use change in the same year.