Consumption co2 per capita in South Africa

South Africa: Consumption co2 per capita was 5.15 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
5.15
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
57th
of 120 countries
All-time high
8.44
in 1997
All-time low
5.1
in 2022
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Consumption co2 per capita in South Africa, 1990–2023

024681990200620231990: 7.71991: 7.81992: 7.11993: 7.41994: 7.71995: 8.11996: 8.11997: 8.41998: 8.21999: 82000: 6.12001: 5.82002: 5.32003: 5.72004: 6.52005: 62006: 6.72007: 6.82008: 6.72009: 6.82010: 6.72011: 6.72012: 6.52013: 6.52014: 6.52015: 6.22016: 6.22017: 62018: 6.12019: 6.22020: 5.52021: 5.32022: 5.12023: 5.1

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 5.15 for consumption co2 per capita in 2023.

The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 21.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, consumption co2 per capita in South Africa peaked at 8.44 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 5.1, in 2022.

South Africa ranks 57th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.

Consumption co2 per capita in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Consumption co2 per capita in South Africa, 1990 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1990 7.68 —
1991 7.82 +1.8%
1992 7.1 -9.2%
1993 7.4 +4.2%
1994 7.7 +4.0%
1995 8.12 +5.5%
1996 8.06 -0.7%
1997 8.44 +4.6%
1998 8.16 -3.2%
1999 8.02 -1.7%
2000 6.08 -24.2%
2001 5.77 -5.2%
2002 5.31 -7.9%
2003 5.67 +6.8%
2004 6.51 +14.8%
2005 5.98 -8.2%
2006 6.69 +11.8%
2007 6.75 +1.0%
2008 6.67 -1.3%
2009 6.83 +2.5%
2010 6.69 -2.2%
2011 6.67 -0.3%
2012 6.52 -2.3%
2013 6.53 +0.2%
2014 6.51 -0.3%
2015 6.18 -5.1%
2016 6.19 +0.2%
2017 6.03 -2.6%
2018 6.06 +0.6%
2019 6.17 +1.7%
2020 5.54 -10.2%
2021 5.33 -3.7%
2022 5.1 -4.3%
2023 5.15 +0.9%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 5.15 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.76, 1.4× the median. (32 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 5.15 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.5849, 8.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.85 7.1 8.44 10
2000s 6.23 5.31 6.83 10
2010s 6.35 6.03 6.69 10
2020s 5.28 5.1 5.54 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 54 Turkey 5.53 compare
  2. 55 Spain 5.44 compare
  3. 56 Bulgaria 5.2 compare
  4. 58 Portugal 4.55 compare
  5. 59 Chile 4.48 compare
  6. 60 Ukraine 4.41 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More climate change data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is consumption co2 per capita in South Africa?
Consumption co2 per capita in South Africa was 5.15 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest consumption co2 per capita recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 8.44 in 1997.
What is the lowest consumption co2 per capita recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 5.1 in 2022.
How does South Africa rank for consumption co2 per capita?
South Africa ranks 57th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
Is consumption co2 per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Consumption co2 per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Consumption co2 per capita in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 15 November 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/consumption-co2-per-capita/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Consumption co2 per capita
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 4,064 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed