Greenhouse gas emissions in South Africa
South Africa: Greenhouse gas emissions was 542.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
542.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
18th
of 199 countries
All-time high
613.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2008
All-time low
3.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Greenhouse gas emissions in South Africa, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
The most recent figure for greenhouse gas emissions in South Africa is 542.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions in South Africa peaked at 613.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2008 and was at its lowest, 3.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1850.
That places South Africa 18th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 3.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 5.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 6.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 14.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 16.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 13.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 15.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 21.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 15.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 26.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 34.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 24.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 43.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 50.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 45.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 56.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 68.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 59.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 74.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 79.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 69.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 91.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 126.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 99.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 148.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 176.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 149.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 197.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 212.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 196.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 234.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 276.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 240.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 316.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 413.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 327.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 463.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 479.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 435.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 521.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 545.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 477.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 613.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 569.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 547.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 590.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 540.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 533.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 545.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 15 South Korea 630.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 16 Australia 609.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 17 Vietnam 583.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 19 Pakistan 473.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 20 Thailand 456.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 21 Argentina 416.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
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 greenhouse gas emissions in South Africa?
- Greenhouse gas emissions in South Africa was 542.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 613.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2008.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1850.
- How does South Africa rank for greenhouse gas emissions?
- South Africa ranks 18th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. 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 Greenhouse gas 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
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.