What is the highest energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?

The highest recorded value was 0.4443 kt per square kilometre in 2008.

What is the lowest energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?

The lowest recorded value was 0.0899 kt per square kilometre in 1961.

How does South Africa rank for energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre?

South Africa ranks 68th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.

Is energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?

Over the last ten years it is down 10.3%. 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 Energy — Emissions (CO2), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Energy — Emissions (CO2), per square kilometre in South Africa

Name: Energy — Emissions (CO2), per square kilometre in South Africa
Creator: Statizoid (derived)
License: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page

South Africa: Energy — Emissions (CO2), per square kilometre was 0.3528 kt per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)

0.3528 kt per square kilometre

Change on year

up 1.7%

World rank

68th

of 186 countries

All-time high

0.4443 kt per square kilometre

in 2008

All-time low

0.0899 kt per square kilometre

in 1961

Years of data

1961–2023

Energy — Emissions (CO2), per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in kt per square kilometre.

Analysis

In 2023, energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre in South Africa stood at 0.3528 kt per square kilometre.

That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and down 10.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 0.4443 kt per square kilometre in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.0899 kt per square kilometre, in 1961.

South Africa ranks 68th of 186 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.

Energy — Emissions (CO2), per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Energy — Emissions (CO2), per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961 to 2023.
Year	kt per square kilometre	Change
1961	0.0899 kt per square kilometre	—
1962	0.0932 kt per square kilometre	+3.7%
1963	0.0964 kt per square kilometre	+3.5%
1964	0.1047 kt per square kilometre	+8.5%
1965	0.1121 kt per square kilometre	+7.1%
1966	0.1129 kt per square kilometre	+0.7%
1967	0.1179 kt per square kilometre	+4.4%
1968	0.1212 kt per square kilometre	+2.8%
1969	0.1261 kt per square kilometre	+4.1%
1970	0.1311 kt per square kilometre	+3.9%
1971	0.1467 kt per square kilometre	+12.0%
1972	0.1492 kt per square kilometre	+1.7%
1973	0.1509 kt per square kilometre	+1.1%
1974	0.1542 kt per square kilometre	+2.2%
1975	0.1616 kt per square kilometre	+4.8%
1976	0.1682 kt per square kilometre	+4.1%
1977	0.1748 kt per square kilometre	+3.9%
1978	0.1772 kt per square kilometre	+1.4%
1979	0.1912 kt per square kilometre	+7.9%
1980	0.2036 kt per square kilometre	+6.5%
1981	0.2292 kt per square kilometre	+12.6%
1982	0.2588 kt per square kilometre	+12.9%
1983	0.2786 kt per square kilometre	+7.6%
1984	0.3009 kt per square kilometre	+8.0%
1985	0.3108 kt per square kilometre	+3.3%
1986	0.3182 kt per square kilometre	+2.4%
1987	0.3174 kt per square kilometre	-0.3%
1988	0.3322 kt per square kilometre	+4.7%
1989	0.3248 kt per square kilometre	-2.2%
1990	0.305 kt per square kilometre	-6.1%
1991	0.3132 kt per square kilometre	+2.7%
1992	0.291 kt per square kilometre	-7.1%
1993	0.3017 kt per square kilometre	+3.7%
1994	0.3165 kt per square kilometre	+4.9%
1995	0.3388 kt per square kilometre	+7.0%
1996	0.3405 kt per square kilometre	+0.5%
1997	0.3578 kt per square kilometre	+5.1%
1998	0.3503 kt per square kilometre	-2.1%
1999	0.3495 kt per square kilometre	-0.2%
2000	0.352 kt per square kilometre	+0.7%
2001	0.3256 kt per square kilometre	-7.5%
2002	0.3149 kt per square kilometre	-3.3%
2003	0.3545 kt per square kilometre	+12.6%
2004	0.394 kt per square kilometre	+11.2%
2005	0.3784 kt per square kilometre	-4.0%
2006	0.4039 kt per square kilometre	+6.8%
2007	0.4196 kt per square kilometre	+3.9%
2008	0.4443 kt per square kilometre	+5.9%
2009	0.4278 kt per square kilometre	-3.7%
2010	0.3998 kt per square kilometre	-6.6%
2011	0.3982 kt per square kilometre	-0.4%
2012	0.3924 kt per square kilometre	-1.4%
2013	0.3932 kt per square kilometre	+0.2%
2014	0.4031 kt per square kilometre	+2.5%
2015	0.3825 kt per square kilometre	-5.1%
2016	0.3907 kt per square kilometre	+2.2%
2017	0.3759 kt per square kilometre	-3.8%
2018	0.3726 kt per square kilometre	-0.9%
2019	0.3965 kt per square kilometre	+6.4%
2020	0.3685 kt per square kilometre	-7.1%
2021	0.3644 kt per square kilometre	-1.1%
2022	0.347 kt per square kilometre	-4.8%
2023	0.3528 kt per square kilometre	+1.7%

South Africa compared with similar countries

South Africa's 0.3528 kt per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.2479 kt per square kilometre, 1.4× the median. (55 countries reporting)
South Africa's 0.3528 kt per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0203 kt per square kilometre, 17.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	0.1083 kt per square kilometre	0.0899 kt per square kilometre	0.1261 kt per square kilometre	9
1970s	0.1605 kt per square kilometre	0.1311 kt per square kilometre	0.1912 kt per square kilometre	10
1980s	0.2874 kt per square kilometre	0.2036 kt per square kilometre	0.3322 kt per square kilometre	10
1990s	0.3264 kt per square kilometre	0.291 kt per square kilometre	0.3578 kt per square kilometre	10
2000s	0.3815 kt per square kilometre	0.3149 kt per square kilometre	0.4443 kt per square kilometre	10
2010s	0.3905 kt per square kilometre	0.3726 kt per square kilometre	0.4031 kt per square kilometre	10
2020s	0.3582 kt per square kilometre	0.347 kt per square kilometre	0.3685 kt per square kilometre	4

Countries ranked near South Africa

65 Greece 0.384 kt per square kilometre compare
66 Tuvalu 0.3767 kt per square kilometre compare
67 El Salvador 0.375 kt per square kilometre compare
69 Estonia 0.3276 kt per square kilometre compare
70 Bulgaria 0.315 kt per square kilometre compare
71 Croatia 0.3127 kt per square kilometre compare

See the full ranking of 187 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 energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre in South Africa?: Energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre in South Africa was 0.3528 kt per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?: The highest recorded value was 0.4443 kt per square kilometre in 2008.
What is the lowest energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 0.0899 kt per square kilometre in 1961.
How does South Africa rank for energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre?: South Africa ranks 68th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
Is energy — emissions (co2), per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?: Over the last ten years it is down 10.3%. 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 Energy — Emissions (CO2), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Energy — Emissions (CO2), per square kilometre in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 25 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/energy-emissions-co2-per-square-kilometre/south-africa/

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<a href="https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/energy-emissions-co2-per-square-kilometre/south-africa/">Energy — Emissions (CO2), per square kilometre in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

How this figure is calculated

Energy — Emissions (CO2) 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.

Energy — Emissions (CO2) ÷ Land area (sq. km)

Computed from

Energy — Emissions Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
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

Indicator: Energy — Emissions (CO2), per square kilometre
Unit: kt per square kilometre
Source: Statizoid (derived)
Licence: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage: 187 places, 10,734 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed: 24 September 2026

Energy — Emissions (CO2) 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.