Share of global methane emissions in South Africa
South Africa: Share of global methane emissions was 0.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.8%
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
23rd
of 201 countries
All-time high
1.0%
in 1998
All-time low
0.0%
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Share of global methane emissions in South Africa, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of global methane emissions in South Africa is 0.8%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 18.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of global methane emissions in South Africa peaked at 1.0% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1850.
That places South Africa 23rd out of 201 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of global methane emissions in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 0.0% | — |
| 1851 | 0.0% | +9.0% |
| 1852 | 0.0% | +8.0% |
| 1853 | 0.1% | +7.3% |
| 1854 | 0.1% | +6.3% |
| 1855 | 0.1% | +6.3% |
| 1856 | 0.1% | +5.8% |
| 1857 | 0.1% | +5.6% |
| 1858 | 0.1% | +5.3% |
| 1859 | 0.1% | +4.7% |
| 1860 | 0.1% | +4.3% |
| 1861 | 0.1% | +4.2% |
| 1862 | 0.1% | +4.1% |
| 1863 | 0.1% | +3.6% |
| 1864 | 0.1% | +3.4% |
| 1865 | 0.1% | +3.3% |
| 1866 | 0.1% | +3.2% |
| 1867 | 0.1% | +3.2% |
| 1868 | 0.1% | +3.2% |
| 1869 | 0.1% | +2.8% |
| 1870 | 0.1% | +2.9% |
| 1871 | 0.1% | +6.6% |
| 1872 | 0.1% | +5.7% |
| 1873 | 0.1% | +5.5% |
| 1874 | 0.1% | +5.9% |
| 1875 | 0.1% | +4.7% |
| 1876 | 0.1% | +4.8% |
| 1877 | 0.2% | +4.5% |
| 1878 | 0.2% | +4.3% |
| 1879 | 0.2% | +3.7% |
| 1880 | 0.2% | +3.1% |
| 1881 | 0.2% | +1.1% |
| 1882 | 0.2% | +1.0% |
| 1883 | 0.2% | +0.9% |
| 1884 | 0.2% | +1.4% |
| 1885 | 0.2% | +1.3% |
| 1886 | 0.2% | +1.2% |
| 1887 | 0.2% | +0.9% |
| 1888 | 0.2% | +0.6% |
| 1889 | 0.2% | +1.3% |
| 1890 | 0.2% | +0.8% |
| 1891 | 0.2% | +2.4% |
| 1892 | 0.2% | +3.1% |
| 1893 | 0.2% | +6.0% |
| 1894 | 0.2% | +3.4% |
| 1895 | 0.2% | +3.6% |
| 1896 | 0.2% | +3.8% |
| 1897 | 0.2% | +2.6% |
| 1898 | 0.2% | +3.8% |
| 1899 | 0.2% | -0.1% |
| 1900 | 0.2% | -4.5% |
| 1901 | 0.2% | +4.8% |
| 1902 | 0.3% | +5.2% |
| 1903 | 0.3% | +4.1% |
| 1904 | 0.3% | +3.3% |
| 1905 | 0.3% | +3.0% |
| 1906 | 0.3% | +2.8% |
| 1907 | 0.3% | +1.5% |
| 1908 | 0.3% | +2.6% |
| 1909 | 0.3% | +3.3% |
| 1910 | 0.3% | +3.2% |
| 1911 | 0.3% | +0.1% |
| 1912 | 0.3% | +1.8% |
| 1913 | 0.3% | +1.6% |
| 1914 | 0.3% | +2.2% |
| 1915 | 0.4% | +1.3% |
| 1916 | 0.4% | +3.2% |
| 1917 | 0.4% | +1.7% |
| 1918 | 0.4% | +0.7% |
| 1919 | 0.4% | +3.4% |
| 1920 | 0.4% | +1.1% |
| 1921 | 0.4% | +3.3% |
| 1922 | 0.4% | -3.5% |
| 1923 | 0.4% | +2.7% |
| 1924 | 0.4% | +1.7% |
| 1925 | 0.4% | +1.7% |
| 1926 | 0.4% | +2.4% |
| 1927 | 0.4% | -1.9% |
| 1928 | 0.4% | +0.9% |
| 1929 | 0.4% | +0.1% |
| 1930 | 0.4% | -0.1% |
| 1931 | 0.4% | -0.3% |
| 1932 | 0.4% | -0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.4% | +1.4% |
| 1934 | 0.4% | +1.7% |
| 1935 | 0.4% | +2.0% |
| 1936 | 0.4% | +2.0% |
| 1937 | 0.5% | +1.5% |
| 1938 | 0.5% | +3.5% |
| 1939 | 0.5% | +1.5% |
| 1940 | 0.5% | +1.2% |
| 1941 | 0.5% | +3.6% |
| 1942 | 0.5% | +4.6% |
| 1943 | 0.5% | +1.7% |
| 1944 | 0.6% | +4.8% |
| 1945 | 0.6% | +5.5% |
| 1946 | 0.6% | +0.9% |
| 1947 | 0.6% | +0.4% |
| 1948 | 0.6% | +2.7% |
| 1949 | 0.6% | +3.8% |
| 1950 | 0.6% | -0.8% |
| 1951 | 0.6% | +1.4% |
| 1952 | 0.7% | +3.2% |
| 1953 | 0.7% | +0.8% |
| 1954 | 0.7% | +1.4% |
| 1955 | 0.7% | +1.3% |
| 1956 | 0.7% | +1.1% |
| 1957 | 0.7% | +1.0% |
| 1958 | 0.7% | +2.6% |
| 1959 | 0.7% | -1.7% |
| 1960 | 0.7% | +1.0% |
| 1961 | 0.7% | -0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.7% | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 0.7% | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 0.7% | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 0.7% | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 0.7% | -6.9% |
| 1967 | 0.7% | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 0.7% | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 0.7% | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 0.7% | -0.8% |
| 1971 | 0.6% | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 0.6% | -2.0% |
| 1973 | 0.6% | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 0.6% | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 0.7% | +3.7% |
| 1978 | 0.7% | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 0.8% | +5.3% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 0.8% | +5.8% |
| 1982 | 0.9% | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 0.9% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 0.9% | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 0.9% | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 0.9% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 0.9% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 0.9% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 0.9% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 1.0% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | +5.6% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 1.0% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 1.0% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 1.0% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 1.0% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 1.0% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 1.0% | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 1.0% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 1.0% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 1.0% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 1.0% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 1.0% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 1.0% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 1.0% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 1.0% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 1.0% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 1.0% | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 0.9% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.9% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 0.8% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 0.8% | -3.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1%, 6.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1%, 5.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More climate change data for South Africa
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 717.27 million kg (2050)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of global methane emissions in South Africa?
- Share of global methane emissions in South Africa was 0.8% in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of global methane emissions recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.0% in 1998.
- What is the lowest share of global methane emissions recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1850.
- How does South Africa rank for share of global methane emissions?
- South Africa ranks 23rd out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of global methane emissions rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of global methane emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured as a percentage of the world's methane emissions.