Share of global cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa
South Africa: Share of global cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change was 0.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
0.8%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
25th
of 197 countries
All-time high
0.9%
in 2001
All-time low
0.1%
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Share of global cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa, 1850–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of global cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa stood at 0.8%.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of global cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa peaked at 0.9% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1850.
That places South Africa 25th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Share of global cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 0.1% | — |
| 1851 | 0.1% | +2.5% |
| 1852 | 0.1% | +1.8% |
| 1853 | 0.1% | +1.6% |
| 1854 | 0.1% | +1.3% |
| 1855 | 0.1% | +1.1% |
| 1856 | 0.1% | +1.1% |
| 1857 | 0.1% | +0.9% |
| 1858 | 0.1% | +0.8% |
| 1859 | 0.1% | +0.6% |
| 1860 | 0.1% | +3.9% |
| 1861 | 0.1% | +4.7% |
| 1862 | 0.1% | +4.8% |
| 1863 | 0.1% | +4.5% |
| 1864 | 0.1% | +4.1% |
| 1865 | 0.1% | +3.8% |
| 1866 | 0.1% | +3.5% |
| 1867 | 0.1% | +3.2% |
| 1868 | 0.1% | +3.0% |
| 1869 | 0.2% | +2.7% |
| 1870 | 0.2% | +8.9% |
| 1871 | 0.2% | +10.5% |
| 1872 | 0.2% | +10.2% |
| 1873 | 0.2% | +9.4% |
| 1874 | 0.2% | +8.5% |
| 1875 | 0.3% | +7.6% |
| 1876 | 0.3% | +6.8% |
| 1877 | 0.3% | +6.0% |
| 1878 | 0.3% | +5.4% |
| 1879 | 0.3% | +4.8% |
| 1880 | 0.3% | +2.9% |
| 1881 | 0.3% | +2.0% |
| 1882 | 0.3% | +1.4% |
| 1883 | 0.3% | +1.0% |
| 1884 | 0.3% | +0.8% |
| 1885 | 0.3% | +0.6% |
| 1886 | 0.3% | +0.5% |
| 1887 | 0.4% | +0.4% |
| 1888 | 0.4% | +0.3% |
| 1889 | 0.4% | +0.2% |
| 1890 | 0.4% | +0.9% |
| 1891 | 0.4% | +1.2% |
| 1892 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 1893 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 1894 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 1895 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 1896 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 1897 | 0.4% | +1.4% |
| 1898 | 0.4% | +1.3% |
| 1899 | 0.4% | +1.3% |
| 1900 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 1901 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 1902 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 1903 | 0.4% | +1.4% |
| 1904 | 0.4% | +1.3% |
| 1905 | 0.4% | +1.3% |
| 1906 | 0.4% | +1.2% |
| 1907 | 0.4% | +1.2% |
| 1908 | 0.5% | +1.1% |
| 1909 | 0.5% | +1.0% |
| 1910 | 0.5% | +1.0% |
| 1911 | 0.5% | +1.0% |
| 1912 | 0.5% | +1.0% |
| 1913 | 0.5% | +1.0% |
| 1914 | 0.5% | +0.9% |
| 1915 | 0.5% | +0.9% |
| 1916 | 0.5% | +0.9% |
| 1917 | 0.5% | +0.9% |
| 1918 | 0.5% | +0.9% |
| 1919 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 1920 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 1921 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 1922 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 1923 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 1924 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 1925 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 1926 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 1927 | 0.5% | +0.7% |
| 1928 | 0.5% | +0.7% |
| 1929 | 0.5% | +0.7% |
| 1930 | 0.5% | +0.7% |
| 1931 | 0.6% | +0.7% |
| 1932 | 0.6% | +0.7% |
| 1933 | 0.6% | +0.7% |
| 1934 | 0.6% | +0.7% |
| 1935 | 0.6% | +0.7% |
| 1936 | 0.6% | +0.6% |
| 1937 | 0.6% | +0.6% |
| 1938 | 0.6% | +0.6% |
| 1939 | 0.6% | +0.6% |
| 1940 | 0.6% | +1.1% |
| 1941 | 0.6% | +1.2% |
| 1942 | 0.6% | +1.4% |
| 1943 | 0.6% | +1.4% |
| 1944 | 0.6% | +1.5% |
| 1945 | 0.6% | +1.5% |
| 1946 | 0.6% | +1.5% |
| 1947 | 0.6% | +1.5% |
| 1948 | 0.7% | +1.5% |
| 1949 | 0.7% | +1.4% |
| 1950 | 0.7% | +1.1% |
| 1951 | 0.7% | +1.2% |
| 1952 | 0.7% | +1.2% |
| 1953 | 0.7% | +1.2% |
| 1954 | 0.7% | +1.1% |
| 1955 | 0.7% | +1.0% |
| 1956 | 0.7% | +1.0% |
| 1957 | 0.7% | +0.9% |
| 1958 | 0.7% | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 0.7% | +0.8% |
| 1960 | 0.7% | +1.4% |
| 1961 | 0.8% | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 0.8% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 0.8% | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 0.8% | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 0.8% | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 0.8% | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 0.8% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 0.8% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 0.8% | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 0.8% | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 0.8% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 0.8% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 0.8% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 0.8% | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 0.8% | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 0.8% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 0.8% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 0.8% | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 0.8% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 0.8% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 0.8% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 0.8% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 0.8% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 0.8% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 0.8% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 0.8% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 0.9% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 0.9% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 0.9% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 0.9% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 0.9% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.9% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 0.9% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 0.9% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 0.8% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 0.8% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 0.8% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 0.8% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 0.8% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 0.8% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 0.8% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 0.8% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 0.8% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 0.8% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 0.8% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 0.8% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 22 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 0.9% compare
- 23 Tanzania, United Republic of 0.9% compare
- 24 Angola 0.8% compare
- 26 Türkiye 0.8% compare
- 27 Madagascar 0.7% compare
- 28 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 0.7% compare
More climate change data for South Africa
- 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)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 13.45 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of global cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa?
- Share of global cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change in South Africa was 0.8% in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of global cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.9% in 2001.
- What is the lowest share of global cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1850.
- How does South Africa rank for share of global cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change?
- South Africa ranks 25th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of global cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. 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 cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change. 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
Cumulative emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from land-use change since the first year of available data, measured as a percentage of global cumulative emissions of CO₂ from land-use change.