emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre was 3.61 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022. ▲ Rising
emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2022
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in South Africa is 3.61 tonnes per square kilometre, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 17.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 4.47 tonnes per square kilometre in 2008 and was at its lowest, 1.65 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1963.
South Africa ranks 96th of 207 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 62 years of available data.
emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.69 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 1.67 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 1.65 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 1.69 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1965 | 1.7 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 1.72 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 1.76 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1968 | 1.75 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 1.79 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1970 | 1.84 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1971 | 1.96 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.2% |
| 1972 | 2.04 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1973 | 2.16 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1974 | 2.2 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 2.37 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 1976 | 2.41 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 2.38 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 2.45 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 2.39 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 2.44 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 2.55 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1982 | 2.54 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 2.5 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 2.68 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.5% |
| 1985 | 2.74 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 2.72 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 2.92 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.3% |
| 1988 | 3.09 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1989 | 3.25 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1990 | 3.35 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 3.38 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 3.41 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 3.46 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 3.49 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 3.62 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 3.61 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 3.68 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 3.67 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 3.55 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 3.22 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.2% |
| 2001 | 4.09 tonnes per square kilometre | +26.9% |
| 2002 | 4.12 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 4.06 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 4.27 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 4.21 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 4.26 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 4.45 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 4.47 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 4.27 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 4.17 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 4.06 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 4.36 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.4% |
| 2013 | 4.39 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 4.32 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 4.14 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 4.04 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 4.42 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.5% |
| 2018 | 4.09 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.5% |
| 2019 | 3.75 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.2% |
| 2020 | 3.64 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 3.65 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 3.61 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 3.61 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.92 tonnes per square kilometre, 1.9× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 3.61 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.61 tonnes per square kilometre, 100% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre 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 | +26.9% | 3.22 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.09 tonnes per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.71 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.65 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.79 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.22 tonnes per square kilometre | 1.84 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.45 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.74 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.44 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.25 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.52 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.35 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.68 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.14 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.22 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.47 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.17 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.75 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.42 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.63 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.61 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.65 tonnes per square kilometre | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 93 Romania 3.73 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 94 Switzerland 3.63 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 95 Burkina Faso 3.61 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 97 Hungary 3.54 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 98 Costa Rica 3.53 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 99 Tonga 3.38 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 emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in South Africa was 3.61 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4.47 tonnes per square kilometre in 2008.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.65 tonnes per square kilometre in 1963.
- How does South Africa rank for emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 96th out of 207 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.3%. 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 emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 62 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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
emissions of air pollutants ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- emissions of air pollutants Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – 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
emissions of air pollutants 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.