CO2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total in South Africa
South Africa: CO2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total was 499,016 thousand metric tons in 2009. ▲ Rising
CO2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total in South Africa, 1960–2009
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in thousand metric tons.
Analysis
In 2009, co2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total in South Africa stood at 499,016 thousand metric tons. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.3% on the previous year and up 34.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total in South Africa peaked at 499,016 thousand metric tons in 2009 and was at its lowest, 97,935 thousand metric tons, in 1960.
South Africa ranks 1st of 51 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
CO2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total in South Africa, year by year
| Year | thousand metric tons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 97,935 thousand metric tons | — |
| 1961 | 102,214 thousand metric tons | +4.4% |
| 1962 | 105,767 thousand metric tons | +3.5% |
| 1963 | 109,827 thousand metric tons | +3.8% |
| 1964 | 119,658 thousand metric tons | +9.0% |
| 1965 | 128,261 thousand metric tons | +7.2% |
| 1966 | 128,356 thousand metric tons | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 133,886 thousand metric tons | +4.3% |
| 1968 | 138,085 thousand metric tons | +3.1% |
| 1969 | 143,281 thousand metric tons | +3.8% |
| 1970 | 149,764 thousand metric tons | +4.5% |
| 1971 | 168,568 thousand metric tons | +12.6% |
| 1972 | 171,726 thousand metric tons | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 173,533 thousand metric tons | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 176,735 thousand metric tons | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 185,202 thousand metric tons | +4.8% |
| 1976 | 193,115 thousand metric tons | +4.3% |
| 1977 | 199,951 thousand metric tons | +3.5% |
| 1978 | 202,099 thousand metric tons | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 218,909 thousand metric tons | +8.3% |
| 1980 | 228,454 thousand metric tons | +4.4% |
| 1981 | 257,368 thousand metric tons | +12.7% |
| 1982 | 280,749 thousand metric tons | +9.1% |
| 1983 | 292,231 thousand metric tons | +4.1% |
| 1984 | 315,949 thousand metric tons | +8.1% |
| 1985 | 324,214 thousand metric tons | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 330,855 thousand metric tons | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 329,025 thousand metric tons | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 343,055 thousand metric tons | +4.3% |
| 1989 | 341,108 thousand metric tons | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 333,514 thousand metric tons | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 346,337 thousand metric tons | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 324,852 thousand metric tons | -6.2% |
| 1993 | 342,549 thousand metric tons | +5.4% |
| 1994 | 358,930 thousand metric tons | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 353,458 thousand metric tons | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 358,640 thousand metric tons | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 371,328 thousand metric tons | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 372,219 thousand metric tons | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 371,034 thousand metric tons | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 368,610 thousand metric tons | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 362,743 thousand metric tons | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 347,687 thousand metric tons | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 380,811 thousand metric tons | +9.5% |
| 2004 | 427,132 thousand metric tons | +12.2% |
| 2005 | 396,117 thousand metric tons | -7.3% |
| 2006 | 424,844 thousand metric tons | +7.3% |
| 2007 | 443,648 thousand metric tons | +4.4% |
| 2008 | 464,957 thousand metric tons | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 499,016 thousand metric tons | +7.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 120,727 thousand metric tons | 97,935 thousand metric tons | 143,281 thousand metric tons | 10 |
| 1970s | 183,960 thousand metric tons | 149,764 thousand metric tons | 218,909 thousand metric tons | 10 |
| 1980s | 304,301 thousand metric tons | 228,454 thousand metric tons | 343,055 thousand metric tons | 10 |
| 1990s | 353,286 thousand metric tons | 324,852 thousand metric tons | 372,219 thousand metric tons | 10 |
| 2000s | 411,556 thousand metric tons | 347,687 thousand metric tons | 499,016 thousand metric tons | 10 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More environment data for South Africa
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 8.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.275 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 20.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.012 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 3.25 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is co2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total in South Africa?
- Co2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total in South Africa was 499,016 thousand metric tons in 2009, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest co2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 499,016 thousand metric tons in 2009.
- What is the lowest co2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 97,935 thousand metric tons in 1960.
- How does South Africa rank for co2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total?
- South Africa ranks 1st out of 51 countries with data for 2009.
- Is co2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.5%. 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, electronic files and web site, published as part of CO2 emissions from fossil-fuels, total (thousand metric tons). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Fossil fuel is any hydrocarbon deposit that can be burned for heat or power, such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas. This is the sum total of all fossil fuel emissions (solid fuel consumption, liquid fuel consumption, gas fuel consumption, cement production and gas flaring). The U.S. Department of Energy’s carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) calculates annual anthropogenic emissions from data on fossil fuel consumption (from the United Nations Statistics Division’s World Energy Data Set) and world cement manufacturing (from the U.S. Bureau of Mine’s Cement Manufacturing Data Set). Carbon dioxide emissions, often calculated and reported as elemental carbon, were converted to actual carbon dioxide mass by multiplying them by 3.664 (the ratio of the mass of carbon to that of carbon dioxide). Although estimates of global carbon dioxide emissions are probably accurate within 10 percent (as calculated from global average file chemistry and use), country estimates may have larger error bounds. Trends estimated from a consistent time series tend to be more accurate than individual values. Each year the CDIAC recalculates the entire time series since 1949, incorporating recent findings and corrections. Estimates exclude fuels supplied to ships and aircraft in international transport because of the difficulty of apportioning he fuels among benefitting countries. The ratio of carbon dioxide per unit of energy shows carbon intensity, which is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted as a result of using one unit of energy in the process of production.