Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in South Africa
South Africa: Nitrous oxide emissions by sector was 13.44 million tonnes in 2023. ▬ Flat
Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, nitrous oxide emissions by sector in South Africa stood at 13.44 million tonnes.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrous oxide emissions by sector in South Africa peaked at 14.35 million tonnes in 2021 and was at its lowest, 11.76 million tonnes, in 2016.
That places South Africa 34th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.07 million tonnes | 12.49 million tonnes | 13.58 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.25 million tonnes | 12.73 million tonnes | 14.13 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.02 million tonnes | 11.76 million tonnes | 13.72 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.59 million tonnes | 13.20 million tonnes | 14.35 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More climate change data for South Africa
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.9% (2100)
- Population growth 1.1% (2025)
- Population, total 64.75 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.3% (2025)
- Urban population 41.32 million (2025)
- Urban population 63.8% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 6.87 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 22.83 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 6.87 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 6.87 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrous oxide emissions by sector in South Africa?
- Nitrous oxide emissions by sector in South Africa was 13.44 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest nitrous oxide emissions by sector recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14.35 million tonnes in 2021.
- What is the lowest nitrous oxide emissions by sector recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.76 million tonnes in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for nitrous oxide emissions by sector?
- South Africa ranks 34th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrous oxide emissions by sector rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Nitrous oxide emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents.