Waste — Emissions per capita in South Africa

South Africa: Waste — Emissions per capita was 0.35 t CO2eq/cap in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
0.35 t CO2eq/cap
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
67th
of 187 countries
All-time high
0.36 t CO2eq/cap
in 2012
All-time low
0.25 t CO2eq/cap
in 1994
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Waste — Emissions per capita in South Africa, 1990–2023

00.10.20.30.41990200620231990: 0.26 t CO2eq/cap1991: 0.26 t CO2eq/cap1992: 0.26 t CO2eq/cap1993: 0.26 t CO2eq/cap1994: 0.25 t CO2eq/cap1995: 0.27 t CO2eq/cap1996: 0.27 t CO2eq/cap1997: 0.29 t CO2eq/cap1998: 0.29 t CO2eq/cap1999: 0.29 t CO2eq/cap2000: 0.29 t CO2eq/cap2001: 0.3 t CO2eq/cap2002: 0.3 t CO2eq/cap2003: 0.31 t CO2eq/cap2004: 0.31 t CO2eq/cap2005: 0.31 t CO2eq/cap2006: 0.32 t CO2eq/cap2007: 0.33 t CO2eq/cap2008: 0.33 t CO2eq/cap2009: 0.32 t CO2eq/cap2010: 0.33 t CO2eq/cap2011: 0.33 t CO2eq/cap2012: 0.36 t CO2eq/cap2013: 0.36 t CO2eq/cap2014: 0.36 t CO2eq/cap2015: 0.35 t CO2eq/cap2016: 0.35 t CO2eq/cap2017: 0.35 t CO2eq/cap2018: 0.35 t CO2eq/cap2019: 0.35 t CO2eq/cap2020: 0.35 t CO2eq/cap2021: 0.34 t CO2eq/cap2022: 0.34 t CO2eq/cap2023: 0.35 t CO2eq/cap

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t CO2eq/cap.

Analysis

The most recent figure for waste — emissions per capita in South Africa is 0.35 t CO2eq/cap, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 2.9% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, waste — emissions per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.36 t CO2eq/cap in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.25 t CO2eq/cap, in 1994.

That places South Africa 67th out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.27 t CO2eq/cap 0.25 t CO2eq/cap 0.29 t CO2eq/cap 10
2000s 0.312 t CO2eq/cap 0.29 t CO2eq/cap 0.33 t CO2eq/cap 10
2010s 0.349 t CO2eq/cap 0.33 t CO2eq/cap 0.36 t CO2eq/cap 10
2020s 0.345 t CO2eq/cap 0.34 t CO2eq/cap 0.35 t CO2eq/cap 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 64 Thailand 0.37 t CO2eq/cap compare
  2. 65 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.36 t CO2eq/cap compare
  3. 65 Tonga 0.36 t CO2eq/cap compare
  4. 67 Kyrgyzstan 0.35 t CO2eq/cap compare
  5. 67 Panama 0.35 t CO2eq/cap compare
  6. 70 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.34 t CO2eq/cap compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More climate change data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is waste — emissions per capita in South Africa?
Waste — emissions per capita in South Africa was 0.35 t CO2eq/cap in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest waste — emissions per capita recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.36 t CO2eq/cap in 2012.
What is the lowest waste — emissions per capita recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.25 t CO2eq/cap in 1994.
How does South Africa rank for waste — emissions per capita?
South Africa ranks 67th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
Is waste — emissions per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Waste — Emissions per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Waste — Emissions per capita in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/waste-emissions-per-capita/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Waste — Emissions per capita
Unit
t CO2eq/cap
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
242 places, 8,008 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

The FAOSTAT domain on Emissions indicators disseminates indicators on sectoral shares of total national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as three indicators of emissions intensity: per capita emissions; emissions per value of agricultural production; and emissions per area of agricultural land.