How does South Africa rank for total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf (mt co2e), per square?

South Africa ranks 75th out of 203 countries with data for 2023.

Is total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf (mt co2e), per square rising or falling in South Africa?

Over the last ten years it is down 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per square in South Africa

Name: Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per square in South Africa
Creator: Statizoid (derived)
License: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page

South Africa: Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per square was 0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)

0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre

Change on year

down 0.1%

World rank

75th

of 203 countries

All-time high

0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre

in 2014

All-time low

0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre

in 1971

Years of data

1970–2023

Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per square in South Africa, 1970–2023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in Mt CO2e per square kilometre.

Analysis

In 2023, total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf (mt co2e), per square in South Africa stood at 0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre.

That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 7.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf (mt co2e), per square in South Africa peaked at 0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre, in 1971.

That places South Africa 75th out of 203 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.

Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per square in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per square kilometre in South Africa, 1970 to 2023.
Year	Mt CO2e per square kilometre	Change
1970	0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	—
1971	0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-0.2%
1972	0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+3.0%
1973	0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+7.7%
1974	0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+3.4%
1975	0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+6.6%
1976	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+5.4%
1977	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+0.7%
1978	0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-6.5%
1979	0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+3.4%
1980	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+5.2%
1981	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+5.2%
1982	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+2.7%
1983	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+1.0%
1984	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+6.1%
1985	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+1.5%
1986	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-0.5%
1987	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+4.6%
1988	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+1.5%
1989	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-0.3%
1990	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+3.6%
1991	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-1.9%
1992	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-1.5%
1993	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+1.1%
1994	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+1.7%
1995	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+4.6%
1996	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+3.4%
1997	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+4.4%
1998	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+1.6%
1999	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-3.7%
2000	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+0.6%
2001	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+2.5%
2002	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+3.2%
2003	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+5.7%
2004	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+6.8%
2005	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+2.3%
2006	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+0.8%
2007	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+4.0%
2008	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+5.1%
2009	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-5.3%
2010	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+1.5%
2011	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-3.5%
2012	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+3.8%
2013	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+2.5%
2014	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+2.3%
2015	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-4.2%
2016	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-0.5%
2017	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+2.9%
2018	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+0.2%
2019	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	+0.7%
2020	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-4.6%
2021	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-0.3%
2022	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-3.4%
2023	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	-0.1%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	10
1980s	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	10
1990s	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0003 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	10
2000s	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	10
2010s	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	10
2020s	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre	4

Countries ranked near South Africa

72 Uzbekistan 0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre compare
73 Croatia 0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre compare
74 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre compare
76 Bulgaria 0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre compare
77 Romania 0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre compare
78 Belarus 0.0004 Mt CO2e per square kilometre compare

See the full ranking of 250 places →

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)
Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.59 % change on previous year (2024)
Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.2953 % change on previous year (2024)
Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf (mt co2e), per square in South Africa?: Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf (mt co2e), per square in South Africa was 0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf (mt co2e), per square recorded in South Africa?: The highest recorded value was 0.0005 Mt CO2e per square kilometre in 2014.
What is the lowest total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf (mt co2e), per square recorded in South Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 0.0002 Mt CO2e per square kilometre in 1971.
How does South Africa rank for total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf (mt co2e), per square?: South Africa ranks 75th out of 203 countries with data for 2023.
Is total greenhouse gas emissions excluding lulucf (mt co2e), per square rising or falling in South Africa?: Over the last ten years it is down 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?: The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per square in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/total-greenhouse-gas-emissions-excluding-lulucf-mt-co2e-per-square-kilometre/south-africa/

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<a href="https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/total-greenhouse-gas-emissions-excluding-lulucf-mt-co2e-per-square-kilometre/south-africa/">Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per square in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

How this figure is calculated

Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e) ÷ Land area (sq. km)

Computed from

Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission
Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator: Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per square kilometre
Unit: Mt CO2e per square kilometre
Source: Statizoid (derived)
Licence: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage: 250 places, 12,804 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed: 22 September 2026

Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.