Annual CO₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa
South Africa: Annual CO₂ emissions from land-use change was 3.81 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Annual 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 tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, annual co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa stood at 3.81 million tonnes.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 15.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa peaked at 108.71 million tonnes in 1960 and was at its lowest, -1.07 million tonnes, in 2017.
South Africa ranks 78th of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 3.08 million tonnes | 2.50 million tonnes | 3.44 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 5.40 million tonnes | 4.32 million tonnes | 5.98 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 19.98 million tonnes | 12.33 million tonnes | 23.90 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 16.17 million tonnes | 14.42 million tonnes | 20.14 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 23.69 million tonnes | 18.82 million tonnes | 26.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 31.27 million tonnes | 28.27 million tonnes | 33.05 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 32.54 million tonnes | 32.43 million tonnes | 32.71 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 38.75 million tonnes | 35.23 million tonnes | 40.68 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 43.71 million tonnes | 41.79 million tonnes | 44.80 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 70.40 million tonnes | 56.25 million tonnes | 77.74 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 88.76 million tonnes | 77.31 million tonnes | 94.71 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 75.28 million tonnes | 60.45 million tonnes | 108.71 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 71.81 million tonnes | 61.29 million tonnes | 78.93 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 69.00 million tonnes | 60.59 million tonnes | 81.35 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 81.46 million tonnes | 72.27 million tonnes | 95.50 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.83 million tonnes | 26.62 million tonnes | 61.99 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.61 million tonnes | -1.07 million tonnes | 14.05 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.48 million tonnes | 2.78 million tonnes | 3.83 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 annual co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa?
- Annual co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa was 3.81 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual co₂ emissions from land-use change recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 108.71 million tonnes in 1960.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from land-use change recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.07 million tonnes in 2017.
- How does South Africa rank for annual co₂ emissions from land-use change?
- South Africa ranks 78th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from land-use change rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. 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 Annual CO₂ emissions from land-use change. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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 in tonnes.