Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita was 463.94 tonnes per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita in South Africa, 1960–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 463.94 tonnes per person for cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita in South Africa peaked at 463.94 tonnes per person in 2024 and was at its lowest, 348.23 tonnes per person, in 1984.
South Africa ranks 60th of 192 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 353.52 tonnes per person | — |
| 1961 | 354.66 tonnes per person | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 354.45 tonnes per person | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 353.64 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 352.83 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 352.03 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 351.38 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 350.87 tonnes per person | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 350.37 tonnes per person | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 349.97 tonnes per person | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 349.77 tonnes per person | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 350.44 tonnes per person | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 351.07 tonnes per person | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 351.42 tonnes per person | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 351.69 tonnes per person | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 352.08 tonnes per person | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 352.62 tonnes per person | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 353.06 tonnes per person | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 353.08 tonnes per person | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 353.43 tonnes per person | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 352.65 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 351.32 tonnes per person | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 350.2 tonnes per person | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 349.01 tonnes per person | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 348.23 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 348.3 tonnes per person | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 348.39 tonnes per person | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 348.46 tonnes per person | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 348.95 tonnes per person | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 349.49 tonnes per person | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 349.57 tonnes per person | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 351.69 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 354.77 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 357.09 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 360.85 tonnes per person | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 366.51 tonnes per person | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 371.62 tonnes per person | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 377.28 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 382.47 tonnes per person | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 387.9 tonnes per person | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 393.7 tonnes per person | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 399.37 tonnes per person | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 404.07 tonnes per person | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 409.31 tonnes per person | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 415.24 tonnes per person | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 420.16 tonnes per person | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 425.58 tonnes per person | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 431.24 tonnes per person | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 436.69 tonnes per person | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 441.19 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 445.2 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 448.87 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 451.09 tonnes per person | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 452.19 tonnes per person | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 453.48 tonnes per person | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 452.6 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 456.38 tonnes per person | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 461.02 tonnes per person | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 461.08 tonnes per person | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 461.47 tonnes per person | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 461.28 tonnes per person | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 461.43 tonnes per person | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 461.88 tonnes per person | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 462.76 tonnes per person | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 463.94 tonnes per person | +0.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 463.94 tonnes per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 239.32 tonnes per person, 1.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 463.94 tonnes per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 83.45 tonnes per person, 5.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 352.37 tonnes per person | 349.97 tonnes per person | 354.66 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 351.87 tonnes per person | 349.77 tonnes per person | 353.43 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 349.5 tonnes per person | 348.23 tonnes per person | 352.65 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 365.97 tonnes per person | 349.57 tonnes per person | 387.9 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 417.65 tonnes per person | 393.7 tonnes per person | 441.19 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 454.34 tonnes per person | 445.2 tonnes per person | 461.47 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 462.26 tonnes per person | 461.28 tonnes per person | 463.94 tonnes per person | 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 cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita in South Africa?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita in South Africa was 463.94 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 463.94 tonnes per person in 2024.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 348.23 tonnes per person in 1984.
- How does South Africa rank for cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 60th out of 192 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. 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 including land-use change, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
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 including land-use change divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.