Share of global CO₂ emissions vs. share of population in South Africa
South Africa: Share of global CO₂ emissions vs. share of population was 1.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of global CO₂ emissions vs. share of population in South Africa, 1884–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of global co₂ emissions vs. share of population in South Africa is 1.1%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 16.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of global co₂ emissions vs. share of population in South Africa peaked at 1.6% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1884.
That places South Africa 15th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 141 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6 |
| 1890s | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 5 |
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 share of global co₂ emissions vs. share of population in South Africa?
- Share of global co₂ emissions vs. share of population in South Africa was 1.1% in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of global co₂ emissions vs. share of population recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 1984.
- What is the lowest share of global co₂ emissions vs. share of population recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1884.
- How does South Africa rank for share of global co₂ emissions vs. share of population?
- South Africa ranks 15th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of global co₂ emissions vs. share of population rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of global CO₂ emissions vs. share of population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 141 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured as a percentage of global emissions of CO₂ in the same year.