Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF in South Africa
South Africa: Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF was 16.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF in South Africa, 1991–2024
Source: EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission. Measured in % change from 1990.
Analysis
In 2024, nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions (total) excluding lulucf in South Africa stood at 16.6%.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and down 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions (total) excluding lulucf in South Africa peaked at 22.0% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1991.
South Africa ranks 133rd of 203 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % change from 1990 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 0.4% | — |
| 1992 | 10.9% | +2557.8% |
| 1993 | 10.2% | -6.1% |
| 1994 | 9.1% | -11.1% |
| 1995 | 11.2% | +22.4% |
| 1996 | 20.8% | +86.3% |
| 1997 | 22.0% | +5.8% |
| 1998 | 21.8% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 17.6% | -19.4% |
| 2000 | 7.8% | -56.0% |
| 2001 | 11.4% | +47.1% |
| 2002 | 17.1% | +49.7% |
| 2003 | 16.6% | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 19.0% | +14.3% |
| 2005 | 18.5% | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 14.7% | -20.9% |
| 2007 | 17.4% | +18.7% |
| 2008 | 12.9% | -25.7% |
| 2009 | 10.2% | -21.2% |
| 2010 | 12.0% | +17.8% |
| 2011 | 11.7% | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 14.0% | +19.6% |
| 2013 | 15.2% | +8.4% |
| 2014 | 19.4% | +27.6% |
| 2015 | 12.6% | -35.2% |
| 2016 | 13.6% | +8.4% |
| 2017 | 20.6% | +51.0% |
| 2018 | 14.0% | -32.0% |
| 2019 | 10.8% | -22.8% |
| 2020 | 12.7% | +17.7% |
| 2021 | 21.6% | +70.3% |
| 2022 | 15.7% | -27.3% |
| 2023 | 16.4% | +4.1% |
| 2024 | 16.6% | +1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.8% | 0.4% | 22.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 7.8% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.4% | 10.8% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.6% | 12.7% | 21.6% | 5 |
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 nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions (total) excluding lulucf in South Africa?
- Nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions (total) excluding lulucf in South Africa was 16.6% in 2024, according to EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission.
- What is the highest nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions (total) excluding lulucf recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 22.0% in 1997.
- What is the lowest nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions (total) excluding lulucf recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1991.
- How does South Africa rank for nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions (total) excluding lulucf?
- South Africa ranks 133rd out of 203 countries with data for 2024.
- Is nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions (total) excluding lulucf rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission, published as part of Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (% change from 1990). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Change of emissions (as %) of current year with respect to emissions in baseline year 1990 emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from the agriculture, energy, waste, and industrial sectors, excluding LULUCF.. The measure is standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) factors of IPCC's 5th Assessment Report (AR5). Negative values indicate that the emission level for that year is lower than the emissions level in 1990.