What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp recorded in South Africa?

The highest recorded value was 0.2654 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 1960.

What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp recorded in South Africa?

The lowest recorded value was 0.037 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 2011.

How does South Africa rank for cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp?

South Africa ranks 9th out of 202 countries with data for 2024.

Is cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp rising or falling in South Africa?

Over the last ten years it is up 18.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this South Africa data come from?

The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP in South Africa

Name: Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP in South Africa
Creator: Statizoid (derived)
License: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page

South Africa: Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP was 0.0569 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)

0.0569 tonnes per US$ of GDP

Change on year

down 3.0%

World rank

9th

of 202 countries

All-time high

0.2654 tonnes per US$ of GDP

in 1960

All-time low

0.037 tonnes per US$ of GDP

in 2011

Years of data

1960–2024

Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP in South Africa, 1960–2024

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per US$ of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp in South Africa is 0.0569 tonnes per US$ of GDP, measured in 2024.

The figure is down 3.0% on the previous year and up 18.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp in South Africa peaked at 0.2654 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 1960 and was at its lowest, 0.037 tonnes per US$ of GDP, in 2011.

South Africa ranks 9th of 202 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP in South Africa, 1960 to 2024.
Year	tonnes per US$ of GDP	Change
1960	0.2654 tonnes per US$ of GDP	—
1961	0.2627 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-1.0%
1962	0.2578 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-1.9%
1963	0.2432 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-5.7%
1964	0.2308 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-5.1%
1965	0.2209 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-4.3%
1966	0.2122 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-4.0%
1967	0.199 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-6.2%
1968	0.192 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-3.6%
1969	0.1781 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-7.2%
1970	0.1687 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-5.3%
1971	0.1601 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-5.1%
1972	0.1599 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-0.1%
1973	0.1231 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-23.0%
1974	0.1032 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-16.2%
1975	0.1038 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+0.6%
1976	0.1129 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+8.8%
1977	0.1069 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-5.3%
1978	0.0978 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-8.5%
1979	0.0836 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-14.6%
1980	0.0615 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-26.4%
1981	0.0618 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+0.5%
1982	0.0702 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+13.7%
1983	0.0658 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-6.4%
1984	0.0783 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+19.0%
1985	0.1081 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+38.1%
1986	0.0995 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-8.0%
1987	0.079 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-20.6%
1988	0.0766 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-3.0%
1989	0.0769 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+0.3%
1990	0.0684 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-11.0%
1991	0.0662 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-3.2%
1992	0.0629 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-4.9%
1993	0.065 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+3.3%
1994	0.0645 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-0.7%
1995	0.0598 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-7.3%
1996	0.0651 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+8.9%
1997	0.0652 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+0.1%
1998	0.0745 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+14.2%
1999	0.0777 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+4.3%
2000	0.0801 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+3.1%
2001	0.0924 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+15.5%
2002	0.0997 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+7.9%
2003	0.0674 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-32.4%
2004	0.0537 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-20.4%
2005	0.049 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-8.8%
2006	0.048 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-1.9%
2007	0.0452 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-5.9%
2008	0.0492 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+8.8%
2009	0.0486 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-1.2%
2010	0.0395 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-18.7%
2011	0.037 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-6.3%
2012	0.0401 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+8.3%
2013	0.0446 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+11.2%
2014	0.0482 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+8.0%
2015	0.0543 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+12.7%
2016	0.0596 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+9.7%
2017	0.0517 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-13.2%
2018	0.0498 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-3.7%
2019	0.053 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+6.5%
2020	0.0624 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+17.6%
2021	0.0512 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-17.8%
2022	0.0539 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+5.1%
2023	0.0587 tonnes per US$ of GDP	+9.0%
2024	0.0569 tonnes per US$ of GDP	-3.0%

South Africa compared with similar countries

South Africa's 0.0569 tonnes per US$ of GDP is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0124 tonnes per US$ of GDP, 4.6× the median. (58 countries reporting)
South Africa's 0.0569 tonnes per US$ of GDP is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.006 tonnes per US$ of GDP, 9.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	0.2262 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.1781 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.2654 tonnes per US$ of GDP	10
1970s	0.122 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.0836 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.1687 tonnes per US$ of GDP	10
1980s	0.0777 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.0615 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.1081 tonnes per US$ of GDP	10
1990s	0.0669 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.0598 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.0777 tonnes per US$ of GDP	10
2000s	0.0633 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.0452 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.0997 tonnes per US$ of GDP	10
2010s	0.0478 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.037 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.0596 tonnes per US$ of GDP	10
2020s	0.0566 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.0512 tonnes per US$ of GDP	0.0624 tonnes per US$ of GDP	5

Countries ranked near South Africa

6 Belarus 0.066 tonnes per US$ of GDP compare
7 Venezuela 0.0654 tonnes per US$ of GDP compare
8 Turkmenistan 0.062 tonnes per US$ of GDP compare
10 Russia 0.0562 tonnes per US$ of GDP compare
11 Uzbekistan 0.0556 tonnes per US$ of GDP compare
12 Libya 0.0514 tonnes per US$ of GDP compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

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)

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp in South Africa?: Cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp in South Africa was 0.0569 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp recorded in South Africa?: The highest recorded value was 0.2654 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 1960.
What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp recorded in South Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 0.037 tonnes per US$ of GDP in 2011.
How does South Africa rank for cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp?: South Africa ranks 9th out of 202 countries with data for 2024.
Is cumulative co₂ emissions, per unit of gdp rising or falling in South Africa?: Over the last ten years it is up 18.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?: The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/cumulative-co2-emissions-per-unit-of-gdp/south-africa/

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How this figure is calculated

Cumulative CO₂ emissions divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Cumulative CO₂ emissions ÷ GDP (current US$)

Computed from

Cumulative CO₂ emissions Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
GDP Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks

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

Indicator: Cumulative CO₂ emissions, per unit of GDP
Unit: tonnes per US$ of GDP
Source: Statizoid (derived)
Licence: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage: 202 places, 11,089 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed: 16 September 2026

Cumulative CO₂ emissions divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.