Coal — Emissions in South Africa

South Africa: Coal — Emissions was 5.12 kt in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
5.12 kt
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
5th
of 36 countries
All-time high
9.34 kt
in 2014
All-time low
0.4605 kt
in 2016
Years of data
14
2010–2023

Coal — Emissions in South Africa, 2010–2023

02468102010201620232010: 0.995 kt2011: 5.2 kt2012: 8.7 kt2013: 9.1 kt2014: 9.3 kt2015: 8.2 kt2016: 0.461 kt2017: 1.1 kt2018: 8.8 kt2019: 5.8 kt2020: 5.3 kt2021: 5.2 kt2022: 5.1 kt2023: 5.1 kt

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kt.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 5.12 kt for coal — emissions in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 43.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, coal — emissions in South Africa peaked at 9.34 kt in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.4605 kt, in 2016.

That places South Africa 5th out of 36 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Coal — Emissions in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Coal — Emissions (CH4) in South Africa, 2010 to 2023.
Year kt Change
2010 0.9952 kt —
2011 5.23 kt +425.4%
2012 8.66 kt +65.6%
2013 9.11 kt +5.2%
2014 9.34 kt +2.6%
2015 8.18 kt -12.4%
2016 0.4605 kt -94.4%
2017 1.1 kt +138.7%
2018 8.83 kt +702.8%
2019 5.79 kt -34.4%
2020 5.35 kt -7.7%
2021 5.23 kt -2.1%
2022 5.12 kt -2.2%
2023 5.12 kt +0.0%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 5.12 kt is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.05 kt, 102.4× the median. (9 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Coal — Emissions 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.

YearChange FromTo
2018 +702.8% 1.1 kt 8.83 kt
2011 +425.4% 0.9952 kt 5.23 kt
2017 +138.7% 0.4605 kt 1.1 kt

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 5.77 kt 0.4605 kt 9.34 kt 10
2020s 5.2 kt 5.12 kt 5.35 kt 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 2.8 kt compare
  2. 3 Viet Nam 0.2138 kt compare
  3. 3 OECD 12.63 kt compare
  4. 4 Poland 11.88 kt compare
  5. 4 Republic of Moldova 0.0333 kt compare
  6. 6 Kazakhstan 3.96 kt compare
  7. 7 Zimbabwe 0.727 kt compare
  8. 8 Colombia 0.5943 kt

See the full ranking of 63 places →

More climate change data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is coal — emissions in South Africa?
Coal — emissions in South Africa was 5.12 kt in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest coal — emissions recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 9.34 kt in 2014.
What is the lowest coal — emissions recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4605 kt in 2016.
How does South Africa rank for coal — emissions?
South Africa ranks 5th out of 36 countries with data for 2023.
Is coal — emissions rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 43.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Coal — Emissions (CH4). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).

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Coal — Emissions in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/coal-emissions-ch4/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Coal — Emissions (CH4)
Unit
kt
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
63 places, 1,553 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

The FAOSTAT domain on Emissions from Energy use in agriculture contains data on energy used in agriculture (including forestry, aquaculture and fisheries), for instance to operate machinery, irrigate, heat stables, operate aquaculture ponds and fishing vessels, and related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It also includes on-farm use of, and related GHG emissions from, electricity and heat generated off-farm. Data are available by country and regional groups with global coverage and are updated annually.