South Africa vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita
Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita over time
- South Africa
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 8.9 t CO2e/capita against 1.91 t CO2e/capita in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 6.99 t CO2e/capita.
That makes South Africa's figure about 4.7 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
Across all 55 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 39th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 38th of 203 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10.96 t CO2e/capita | 2.84 t CO2e/capita | 8.13 t CO2e/capita | South Africa |
| 1980s | 10.55 t CO2e/capita | 2.54 t CO2e/capita | 8.01 t CO2e/capita | South Africa |
| 1990s | 9.6 t CO2e/capita | 2.43 t CO2e/capita | 7.17 t CO2e/capita | South Africa |
| 2000s | 10.69 t CO2e/capita | 2.29 t CO2e/capita | 8.4 t CO2e/capita | South Africa |
| 2010s | 10.57 t CO2e/capita | 2.13 t CO2e/capita | 8.44 t CO2e/capita | South Africa |
| 2020s | 9.1 t CO2e/capita | 1.94 t CO2e/capita | 7.15 t CO2e/capita | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf per capita, South Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- South Africa, at 8.9 t CO2e/capita against 1.91 t CO2e/capita in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf per capita between South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 6.99 t CO2e/capita, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf per capita?
- South Africa ranks 39th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 38th of 203 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission, published as Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita (t CO2e/capita). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total annual emissions of the six greenhouse gases (GHG) covered by the Kyoto Protocol (carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphurhexafluoride (SF6)) from the energy, industry, waste, and agriculture sectors, standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values divided by the economy's population. This measure excludes GHG fluxes caused by Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), as these fluxes have larger uncertainties.