Average carbon footprint in South Africa
~6.9 tCO2e / person / year
South Africa's per-person footprint is about ~6.9 tCO2e/year (latest available). This is national emissions divided by population and helps compare countries on a per-person basis. Check yours to see how you compare.
See also: Africa overview
Compare South Africa with Algeria
Emissions overview
South Africa emits around 6.9 tonnes of CO₂ per person per year (latest available data).
South Africa is about 279% above the median CO₂ per person across Africa.
Consumption-based emissions are lower than domestic emissions.
Electricity generation remains relatively carbon-intensive.
Electricity relies heavily on fossil fuels.
The average resident of South Africa contributes approximately ~6.9 tCO2e / person / year annually to the country's carbon footprint. This is about 45% above the global median of ~4.7 tCO2e per person. Globally, South Africa ranks around #16 on a per-capita basis.
Snapshot
South Africa emits about 6.9 tCO2e per person per year (territorial emissions). That places it around #16 globally, which is considered high on a per-person basis.
This is about 45% above the global median of ~4.7 tCO2e per person. Within Africa, South Africa ranks around #1 and sits about 280% above the regional median of ~1.8.
Population is roughly 64.0 million (2024).
GDP per capita is approximately $6,267 (2024).
Urban population is around 64% (2024).
Electricity renewables share is roughly ~13% of electricity.
Grid carbon intensity is roughly ~713 gCO2/kWh.
How to interpret this number
Per-capita emissions divide a country's total CO₂ output by its population. That lets us compare nations fairly regardless of size. A large country with high total emissions can still have low per-person emissions if its population is very large.
Globally, the main sectors driving emissions are electricity and heat, transport, industry, buildings, and food. The mix varies by country: colder climates often use more heating; car-dependent societies have higher transport emissions; industrial economies tend to show more industry-related CO₂.
For South Africa, with high per-capita emissions, the gap to global and climate targets is substantial. Decoupling economic activity from emissions—through clean energy, efficiency, and behavior change—is the main pathway to reduction.
What usually drives emissions here
GDP per capita is around $6,267 (2024). Lower per-capita emissions in many such economies reflect less energy-intensive lifestyles, though rapid development can increase emissions as transport, industry, and buildings expand.
Around 64% of the population lives in urban areas (2024). Urbanization can affect transport patterns, building density, and heating and cooling demand. Denser cities often support public transit and district heating; sprawl tends to increase car dependency and per-capita emissions.
Grid carbon intensity is relatively high, which means electrifying transport and heating yields smaller emission cuts until the electricity mix decarbonizes. Cleaner grids amplify the benefit of EVs and heat pumps.
Territorial emissions count CO₂ produced within national borders. Consumption-based emissions attribute CO₂ to where goods are consumed. Both perspectives matter for understanding the full carbon footprint.
Territorial vs consumption-based emissions
Territorial emissions count CO₂ produced within a country's borders. Consumption-based emissions attribute CO₂ to where goods are consumed. South Africa's territorial per-capita is ~6.9 tCO2e; consumption-based is lower (~5.1 tCO2e), suggesting net exports of embedded carbon. Both perspectives matter.
What could reduce per-capita emissions
Targeted actions depend on the country's starting point. For South Africa, with high per-capita emissions, potential levers include:
- Reducing car use and choosing electric vehicles
- Reducing food waste along the supply chain
- Retrofitting older buildings with heat pumps
- Expanding public transit and active mobility
- Electrifying industrial heating and process heat
- Improving industrial process efficiency
- Increasing renewable share in electricity generation
- Improving building insulation and energy efficiency
- Cutting down on air travel and long-haul freight
- Phasing out coal and fossil gas in power generation
- Switching to renewable electricity and heat pumps for heating
- Shifting diets toward less carbon-intensive foods
Data sources
- World Bank: SP.POP.TOTL (2024)
- World Bank: NY.GDP.PCAP.CD (2024)
- World Bank: SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS (2024)
- CO₂ per capita, emissions: OWID (2024)
- Electricity intensity & renewables: OWID (2024)
Compare with your result
Latest data
- CO₂ per capita
- ~6.9 tCO2e / person / year (2024)
- Consumption-based CO₂ per capita
- ~5.1 tCO2e/person/yr (2024)
- Electricity CO₂e intensity
- ~713 gCO2/kWh (2024)
- Renewables share in electricity
- ~13% of electricity (2024)
Note: electricity intensity is shown in CO₂e per kWh; per-capita figures above are CO₂ only.
Values are taken from publicly available datasets; coverage and latest year vary by metric.
Electricity & carbon profile
This shows how clean the country's electricity mix is. A higher renewable share usually means lower grid carbon intensity.
Non-renewables• Largest share
87%
High carbon intensity
What drives it
- •Electricity & heating — Homes, offices, and industry. Energy mix (coal, gas, renewables) matters.
- •Transport — Cars, buses, trains, flights. Car ownership and public transport use vary by country.
- •Food — Diet, agriculture, and food waste. Meat and dairy have higher emissions than plant-based options.
Related countries
Closest countries by CO2 per capita and regional context.
- Slightly higher (+3%)
- Slightly higher (+3%)
- Slightly lower (-1%)
- Slightly lower (-3%)
- Same region peer (-38%)
Sources
- Our World in Data – CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Our World in Data – Carbon intensity of electricity
- Our World in Data – Share of electricity from renewables
Last updated: 2026-02-23
Region median computed from available OWID country data shown on this site.
FAQ
- Is South Africa above the global median CO2 per capita?
- Yes. South Africa is about 45% above the global median of ~4.7 tCO2e per person.
- Does CO2 per capita include imported goods?
- The main figure on this page is territorial (production-based): it counts CO₂ emitted within the country's borders. It does not include emissions embedded in imported goods. Consumption-based metrics do include those; we show consumption-based data when available.
- Why can small countries rank very high?
- Per-capita emissions divide total national emissions by population. Small countries with high energy use—often due to industry, refining, or data centers—can rank very high even if their absolute emissions are modest. Luxembourg and Qatar are examples.
- How often is this data updated?
- Data comes from Our World in Data, World Bank, and Ember. Coverage and latest year vary by metric. The main emissions figure typically reflects the most recent year in the source dataset.
- What is the average carbon footprint in South Africa?
- About 6.9 tCO2e per person per year (territorial emissions).
- How does South Africa compare to the Africa median?
- About 280% above the Africa median.