Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre was 5,953 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
5,953 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
96th
of 194 countries
All-time high
5,953 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
3,239 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 5,953 tonnes per square kilometre for cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 5,953 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3,239 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
South Africa ranks 96th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3,239 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 3,298 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1963 | 3,352 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 3,404 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 3,453 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 3,511 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 3,573 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1968 | 3,637 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 3,702 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 3,767 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 3,831 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 3,895 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 3,957 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 4,019 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 4,078 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 4,135 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 4,191 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 4,243 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 4,294 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 4,344 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 4,396 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 4,447 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 4,499 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 4,549 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 4,613 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 4,670 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 4,731 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 4,795 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 4,862 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 4,929 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 5,004 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 5,083 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 5,151 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 5,217 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 5,286 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 5,352 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 5,414 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 5,474 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 5,534 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 5,585 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 5,633 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 5,674 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 5,711 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 5,745 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 5,773 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 5,805 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 5,843 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 5,873 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 5,895 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 5,907 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 5,915 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 5,925 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 5,931 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 5,935 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 5,938 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 5,940 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5,939 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 5,939 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5,941 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5,944 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 5,946 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 5,949 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 5,953 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 5,953 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5,176 tonnes per square kilometre, 1.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 5,953 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6,514 tonnes per square kilometre, 91% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3,463 tonnes per square kilometre | 3,239 tonnes per square kilometre | 3,702 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 4,041 tonnes per square kilometre | 3,767 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,294 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 4,591 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,344 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,862 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 5,245 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,929 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,534 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,754 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,585 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,895 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,931 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,907 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,941 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 5,948 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,944 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,953 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 93 Russia 6,553 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 94 Papua New Guinea 6,073 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 95 Chile 6,035 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 97 Sweden 5,928 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 98 Angola 5,914 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 99 Kenya 5,756 tonnes per square kilometre 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 cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in South Africa was 5,953 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5,953 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,239 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 96th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.