emissions of air pollutants, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: emissions of air pollutants, per capita was 0.0701 tonnes per person in 2022. ▼ Falling
emissions of air pollutants, per capita in South Africa, 1960–2022
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
In 2022, emissions of air pollutants, per capita in South Africa stood at 0.0701 tonnes per person. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.5% on the previous year and down 28.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.1252 tonnes per person in 1960 and was at its lowest, 0.0701 tonnes per person, in 2022.
South Africa ranks 51st of 207 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
emissions of air pollutants, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.1252 tonnes per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.1209 tonnes per person | -3.4% |
| 1962 | 0.116 tonnes per person | -4.1% |
| 1963 | 0.1113 tonnes per person | -4.1% |
| 1964 | 0.1109 tonnes per person | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 0.1079 tonnes per person | -2.8% |
| 1966 | 0.1058 tonnes per person | -1.9% |
| 1967 | 0.1049 tonnes per person | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 0.101 tonnes per person | -3.7% |
| 1969 | 0.1003 tonnes per person | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 0.1003 tonnes per person | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.1034 tonnes per person | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 0.1048 tonnes per person | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 0.1078 tonnes per person | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 0.1067 tonnes per person | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 0.1118 tonnes per person | +4.8% |
| 1976 | 0.111 tonnes per person | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 0.1064 tonnes per person | -4.1% |
| 1978 | 0.1067 tonnes per person | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 0.1012 tonnes per person | -5.2% |
| 1980 | 0.1004 tonnes per person | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 0.1011 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 0.0974 tonnes per person | -3.7% |
| 1983 | 0.0925 tonnes per person | -5.0% |
| 1984 | 0.0961 tonnes per person | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 0.0948 tonnes per person | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 0.0913 tonnes per person | -3.6% |
| 1987 | 0.095 tonnes per person | +4.0% |
| 1988 | 0.0973 tonnes per person | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 0.0996 tonnes per person | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 0.0998 tonnes per person | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 0.0983 tonnes per person | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 0.0976 tonnes per person | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 0.0969 tonnes per person | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 0.0963 tonnes per person | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 0.0985 tonnes per person | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 0.0971 tonnes per person | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 0.0978 tonnes per person | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 0.0964 tonnes per person | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 0.0922 tonnes per person | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 0.0829 tonnes per person | -10.1% |
| 2001 | 0.1043 tonnes per person | +25.8% |
| 2002 | 0.1041 tonnes per person | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 0.1015 tonnes per person | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 0.1056 tonnes per person | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 0.1031 tonnes per person | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 0.1033 tonnes per person | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 0.1068 tonnes per person | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 0.1062 tonnes per person | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 0.1001 tonnes per person | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 0.0967 tonnes per person | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 0.093 tonnes per person | -3.9% |
| 2012 | 0.0983 tonnes per person | +5.8% |
| 2013 | 0.0973 tonnes per person | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 0.0943 tonnes per person | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 0.0886 tonnes per person | -6.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0855 tonnes per person | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 0.0931 tonnes per person | +8.8% |
| 2018 | 0.0846 tonnes per person | -9.1% |
| 2019 | 0.0763 tonnes per person | -9.7% |
| 2020 | 0.0729 tonnes per person | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 0.0719 tonnes per person | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 0.0701 tonnes per person | -2.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0701 tonnes per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0327 tonnes per person, 2.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0701 tonnes per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0539 tonnes per person, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where emissions of air pollutants, per capita 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +25.8% | 0.0829 tonnes per person | 0.1043 tonnes per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1104 tonnes per person | 0.1003 tonnes per person | 0.1252 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.106 tonnes per person | 0.1003 tonnes per person | 0.1118 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0965 tonnes per person | 0.0913 tonnes per person | 0.1011 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0971 tonnes per person | 0.0922 tonnes per person | 0.0998 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1018 tonnes per person | 0.0829 tonnes per person | 0.1068 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0908 tonnes per person | 0.0763 tonnes per person | 0.0983 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0716 tonnes per person | 0.0701 tonnes per person | 0.0729 tonnes per person | 3 |
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 emissions of air pollutants, per capita in South Africa?
- Emissions of air pollutants, per capita in South Africa was 0.0701 tonnes per person in 2022, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1252 tonnes per person in 1960.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0701 tonnes per person in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for emissions of air pollutants, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 51st out of 207 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of emissions of air pollutants, per capita. 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
emissions of air pollutants divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
emissions of air pollutants ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- emissions of air pollutants Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – 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
emissions of air pollutants divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.