Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita was 6.88 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in South Africa, 1970–2024
Source: Joint Research Centre (European Commission) and International Energy Agency (IEA), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in South Africa stood at 6.88.
The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and down 21.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in South Africa peaked at 9.55 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 6.76, in 2023.
That places South Africa 36th out of 203 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8.33 | — |
| 1971 | 8.04 | -3.5% |
| 1972 | 8.09 | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 8.57 | +5.9% |
| 1974 | 8.6 | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 8.99 | +4.5% |
| 1976 | 9.29 | +3.4% |
| 1977 | 9.04 | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 8 | -11.4% |
| 1979 | 7.98 | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 8.23 | +3.0% |
| 1981 | 8.4 | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 8.32 | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 8.1 | -2.6% |
| 1984 | 8.34 | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 8.2 | -1.7% |
| 1986 | 7.88 | -3.9% |
| 1987 | 8.07 | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 7.92 | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 7.61 | -3.9% |
| 1990 | 7.71 | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 7.34 | -4.8% |
| 1992 | 7.06 | -3.9% |
| 1993 | 6.97 | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 7.01 | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 7.3 | +4.1% |
| 1996 | 7.45 | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 7.69 | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 7.73 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 7.29 | -5.6% |
| 2000 | 7.36 | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 7.51 | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 7.72 | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 8.11 | +5.1% |
| 2004 | 8.69 | +7.1% |
| 2005 | 8.82 | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 8.81 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 9.1 | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 9.55 | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 8.83 | -7.5% |
| 2010 | 8.87 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 8.38 | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 8.58 | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 8.69 | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 8.75 | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 8.15 | -6.9% |
| 2016 | 8.04 | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 8.15 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 8.08 | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 8.01 | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 7.44 | -7.1% |
| 2021 | 7.29 | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 6.88 | -5.6% |
| 2023 | 6.76 | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 6.88 | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.49 | 7.98 | 9.29 | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.11 | 7.61 | 8.4 | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.36 | 6.97 | 7.73 | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.45 | 7.36 | 9.55 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.37 | 8.01 | 8.87 | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.05 | 6.76 | 7.44 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More climate change data for South Africa
- 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)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 13.45 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in South Africa?
- Energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita in South Africa was 6.88 in 2024, according to Joint Research Centre (European Commission) and International Energy Agency (IEA), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 9.55 in 2008.
- What is the lowest energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.76 in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita?
- South Africa ranks 36th out of 203 countries with data for 2024.
- Is energy use per capita vs. co₂ emissions per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Joint Research Centre (European Commission) and International Energy Agency (IEA), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy use per capita vs. CO₂ emissions per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average energy consumption per capita is measured in kilowatt-hours per person. Average carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per capita are measured in tonnes per person.