Food Transport — Emissions (CO2eq) in South Africa

South Africa: Food Transport — Emissions (CO2eq) was 5,232 kt in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
5,232 kt
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
26th
of 211 countries
All-time high
5,942 kt
in 2018
All-time low
2,722 kt
in 1990
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Food Transport — Emissions (CO2eq) in South Africa, 1990–2023

02.0k4.0k6.0k1990200620231990: 2.7k kt1991: 2.8k kt1992: 2.9k kt1993: 2.7k kt1994: 3.4k kt1995: 3.8k kt1996: 3.6k kt1997: 3.5k kt1998: 3.9k kt1999: 4.0k kt2000: 4.0k kt2001: 4.0k kt2002: 4.1k kt2003: 4.2k kt2004: 4.6k kt2005: 4.6k kt2006: 4.8k kt2007: 5.3k kt2008: 5.6k kt2009: 5.6k kt2010: 5.2k kt2011: 5.4k kt2012: 5.4k kt2013: 5.9k kt2014: 5.6k kt2015: 5.9k kt2016: 3.7k kt2017: 5.2k kt2018: 5.9k kt2019: 5.6k kt2020: 4.8k kt2021: 5.3k kt2022: 5.2k kt2023: 5.2k kt

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kt.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 5,232 kt for food transport — emissions (co2eq) in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, food transport — emissions (co2eq) in South Africa peaked at 5,942 kt in 2018 and was at its lowest, 2,722 kt, in 1990.

That places South Africa 26th out of 211 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Food Transport — Emissions (CO2eq) in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Food Transport — Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) in South Africa, 1990 to 2023.
Year kt Change
1990 2,722 kt
1991 2,795 kt +2.7%
1992 2,866 kt +2.5%
1993 2,733 kt -4.6%
1994 3,434 kt +25.7%
1995 3,834 kt +11.6%
1996 3,579 kt -6.7%
1997 3,526 kt -1.5%
1998 3,948 kt +12.0%
1999 3,985 kt +0.9%
2000 3,959 kt -0.7%
2001 4,003 kt +1.1%
2002 4,097 kt +2.4%
2003 4,250 kt +3.7%
2004 4,560 kt +7.3%
2005 4,648 kt +1.9%
2006 4,795 kt +3.2%
2007 5,259 kt +9.7%
2008 5,578 kt +6.1%
2009 5,645 kt +1.2%
2010 5,196 kt -7.9%
2011 5,356 kt +3.1%
2012 5,381 kt +0.5%
2013 5,915 kt +9.9%
2014 5,642 kt -4.6%
2015 5,903 kt +4.6%
2016 3,652 kt -38.1%
2017 5,205 kt +42.5%
2018 5,942 kt +14.2%
2019 5,603 kt -5.7%
2020 4,845 kt -13.5%
2021 5,292 kt +9.2%
2022 5,232 kt -1.1%
2023 5,232 kt +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3,342 kt 2,722 kt 3,985 kt 10
2000s 4,679 kt 3,959 kt 5,645 kt 10
2010s 5,380 kt 3,652 kt 5,942 kt 10
2020s 5,150 kt 4,845 kt 5,292 kt 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 23 Malaysia 6,368 kt compare
  2. 24 Pakistan 6,149 kt compare
  3. 25 Argentina 5,932 kt compare
  4. 27 Algeria 4,790 kt compare
  5. 28 Iraq 4,595 kt compare
  6. 29 Colombia 4,463 kt compare

See the full ranking of 264 places →

More climate change data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is food transport — emissions (co2eq) in South Africa?
Food transport — emissions (co2eq) in South Africa was 5,232 kt in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest food transport — emissions (co2eq) recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 5,942 kt in 2018.
What is the lowest food transport — emissions (co2eq) recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2,722 kt in 1990.
How does South Africa rank for food transport — emissions (co2eq)?
South Africa ranks 26th out of 211 countries with data for 2023.
Is food transport — emissions (co2eq) rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Food Transport — Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Food Transport — Emissions (CO2eq) in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/food-transport-emissions-co2eq-ar5-fao-tier-1/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Food Transport — Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5)
Unit
kt
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
264 places, 8,776 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

The FAOSTAT domain on Emissions Totals summarizes the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions disseminated in the FAOSTAT Climate Change domains of emissions from agrifood systems. Data are computed following the Tier 1 methods of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National greenhouse gas (GHG) Inventories (IPCC, 1996; 1997; 2000; 2002; 2006; 2014). Emissions from other economic sectors as defined by the IPCC are also disseminated in the domain for completeness. Methodological details can be found at: https://files-faostat.fao.org/production/GT/GT_en.pdf