Per capita co2 coal in South Africa

South Africa: Per capita co2 coal was 5.8 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
5.8
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
7th
of 179 countries
All-time high
8.18
in 2008
All-time low
0.0051
in 1884
Years of data
141
1884–2024

Per capita co2 coal in South Africa, 1884–2024

02468188419542024

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 5.8 for per capita co2 coal in 2024.

The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 21.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, per capita co2 coal in South Africa peaked at 8.18 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.0051, in 1884.

South Africa ranks 7th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Per capita co2 coal in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Per capita co2 coal in South Africa, 1884 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1884 0.0051 —
1885 0.0084 +64.9%
1886 0.0108 +28.6%
1887 0.0106 -1.1%
1888 0.0178 +67.4%
1889 0.0289 +61.9%
1890 0.0642 +122.6%
1891 0.0635 -1.1%
1892 0.1017 +60.0%
1893 0.377 +270.8%
1894 0.5044 +33.8%
1895 0.6846 +35.7%
1896 0.8639 +26.2%
1897 0.9592 +11.0%
1898 1.2 +25.3%
1899 1.08 -9.9%
1900 0.4513 -58.3%
1901 0.7462 +65.3%
1902 1.09 +46.7%
1903 1.44 +31.3%
1904 1.59 +10.8%
1905 1.79 +12.4%
1906 2.01 +12.4%
1907 2.18 +8.5%
1908 2.21 +1.1%
1909 2.5 +13.2%
1910 2.79 +11.5%
1911 2.64 -5.3%
1912 2.76 +4.5%
1913 2.97 +7.7%
1914 2.83 -4.6%
1915 2.8 -1.0%
1916 3.25 +16.0%
1917 3.42 +5.3%
1918 3.21 -6.2%
1919 3.29 +2.4%
1920 3.58 +9.0%
1921 3.48 -2.8%
1922 2.92 -16.0%
1923 3.48 +18.9%
1924 3.58 +2.9%
1925 3.65 +2.1%
1926 3.76 +2.9%
1927 3.58 -4.9%
1928 3.51 -1.9%
1929 3.55 +1.2%
1930 3.27 -8.0%
1931 2.85 -12.8%
1932 2.55 -10.6%
1933 2.7 +5.9%
1934 3.01 +11.6%
1935 3.28 +9.1%
1936 3.52 +7.2%
1937 3.6 +2.3%
1938 3.71 +3.0%
1939 3.77 +1.7%
1940 3.83 +1.6%
1941 4.01 +4.7%
1942 4.3 +7.2%
1943 4.25 -1.2%
1944 4.66 +9.7%
1945 4.68 +0.5%
1946 4.61 -1.7%
1947 4.5 -2.3%
1948 4.51 +0.3%
1949 4.69 +4.0%
1950 4.22 -10.0%
1951 4.39 +4.0%
1952 4.7 +6.9%
1953 4.6 -2.1%
1954 4.65 +1.1%
1955 5.1 +9.7%
1956 5.21 +2.1%
1957 5.27 +1.2%
1958 5.49 +4.1%
1959 5.28 -3.8%
1960 5.32 +0.8%
1961 5.35 +0.6%
1962 5.35 +0.1%
1963 5.38 +0.5%
1964 5.54 +3.0%
1965 5.82 +5.1%
1966 5.54 -4.8%
1967 5.56 +0.4%
1968 5.65 +1.7%
1969 5.58 -1.2%
1970 5.56 -0.4%
1971 5.82 +4.6%
1972 5.84 +0.4%
1973 5.65 -3.3%
1974 5.62 -0.6%
1975 5.62 +0.1%
1976 5.75 +2.2%
1977 5.85 +1.7%
1978 5.8 -0.9%
1979 6.29 +8.4%
1980 6.57 +4.6%
1981 7.14 +8.6%
1982 7.3 +2.2%
1983 7.33 +0.4%
1984 7.81 +6.6%
1985 7.81 -0.1%
1986 7.75 -0.8%
1987 7.61 -1.8%
1988 7.63 +0.3%
1989 7.17 -6.1%
1990 6.51 -9.2%
1991 6.66 +2.4%
1992 6.12 -8.2%
1993 6.69 +9.4%
1994 6.8 +1.6%
1995 7.17 +5.5%
1996 7.18 +0.1%
1997 7.3 +1.6%
1998 7.05 -3.4%
1999 7.21 +2.2%
2000 7.17 -0.6%
2001 7.1 -0.9%
2002 6.78 -4.5%
2003 7.37 +8.7%
2004 7.84 +6.4%
2005 7.61 -2.9%
2006 7.64 +0.4%
2007 7.76 +1.6%
2008 8.18 +5.4%
2009 7.55 -7.7%
2010 7.77 +2.9%
2011 7.56 -2.8%
2012 7.4 -2.1%
2013 7.18 -3.0%
2014 7.43 +3.6%
2015 6.83 -8.1%
2016 6.71 -1.7%
2017 6.42 -4.4%
2018 6.56 +2.1%
2019 6.8 +3.7%
2020 6.18 -9.2%
2021 5.96 -3.5%
2022 5.72 -4.0%
2023 5.75 +0.5%
2024 5.8 +0.9%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 5.8 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1968, 29.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 5.8 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0024, 2415.6× the median. (38 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Per capita co2 coal 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.

YearChange FromTo
1893 +270.8% 0.1017 0.377
1890 +122.6% 0.0289 0.0642
1888 +67.4% 0.0106 0.0178
1901 +65.3% 0.4513 0.7462
1885 +64.9% 0.0051 0.0084
1889 +61.9% 0.0178 0.0289

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1880s 0.0136 0.0051 0.0289 6
1890s 0.5903 0.0635 1.2 10
1900s 1.6 0.4513 2.5 10
1910s 2.99 2.64 3.42 10
1920s 3.51 2.92 3.76 10
1930s 3.22 2.55 3.77 10
1940s 4.4 3.83 4.69 10
1950s 4.89 4.22 5.49 10
1960s 5.51 5.32 5.82 10
1970s 5.78 5.56 6.29 10
1980s 7.41 6.57 7.81 10
1990s 6.87 6.12 7.3 10
2000s 7.5 6.78 8.18 10
2010s 7.07 6.42 7.77 10
2020s 5.88 5.72 6.18 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 4 Brunei 6.49 compare
  2. 5 China 6.26 compare
  3. 6 Taiwan 6.08 compare
  4. 8 Australia 5.34 compare
  5. 9 South Korea 4.78 compare
  6. 10 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4.38 compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More climate change data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is per capita co2 coal in South Africa?
Per capita co2 coal in South Africa was 5.8 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest per capita co2 coal recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 8.18 in 2008.
What is the lowest per capita co2 coal recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0051 in 1884.
How does South Africa rank for per capita co2 coal?
South Africa ranks 7th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
Is per capita co2 coal rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita co2 coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Per capita co2 coal in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 15 November 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/per-capita-co2-coal/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Per capita co2 coal
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 17,915 data points, 1750–2024
Last refreshed