China vs South Africa
China vs South Africa: CO₂ per person
CO₂ per person in 2024: 9.32 tonnes in China and 6.88 tonnes in South Africa, by EDGAR estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in China, by 2.44 tonnes, or 1.35 times that in South Africa.
tonnes per person · EDGAR
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 2018, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2024, China ranked 21 and South Africa ranked 35 of 202 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 4.69 tonnes in 2024.
Every year
tonnes per person · EDGAR
| Year | China | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9.32 | 6.88 | 4.69 |
| 2023 | 9.23 | 6.76 | 4.68 |
| 2022 | 8.87 | 6.88 | 4.67 |
| 2021 | 8.89 | 7.29 | 4.69 |
| 2020 | 8.48 | 7.45 | 4.48 |
| 2019 | 8.39 | 8.01 | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 8.22 | 8.08 | 4.74 |
| 2017 | 7.88 | 8.15 | 4.67 |
| 2016 | 7.76 | 8.04 | 4.65 |
| 2015 | 7.79 | 8.15 | 4.7 |
| 2014 | 7.93 | 8.75 | 4.78 |
| 2013 | 7.89 | 8.69 | 4.81 |
| 2012 | 7.58 | 8.58 | 4.77 |
| 2011 | 7.4 | 8.38 | 4.76 |
| 2010 | 6.81 | 8.87 | 4.67 |
| 2009 | 6.25 | 8.83 | 4.45 |
| 2008 | 5.85 | 9.55 | 4.56 |
| 2007 | 5.71 | 9.1 | 4.59 |
| 2006 | 5.28 | 8.81 | 4.48 |
| 2005 | 4.78 | 8.82 | 4.39 |
| 2004 | 4.24 | 8.69 | 4.28 |
| 2003 | 3.71 | 8.12 | 4.15 |
| 2002 | 3.23 | 7.72 | 4.02 |
| 2001 | 3.01 | 7.51 | 4.01 |
| 2000 | 2.89 | 7.36 | 4.01 |
| 1999 | 2.75 | 7.29 | 3.95 |
| 1998 | 2.84 | 7.73 | 3.98 |
| 1997 | 2.79 | 7.69 | 4.02 |
| 1996 | 2.74 | 7.45 | 4.01 |
| 1995 | 2.79 | 7.3 | 3.99 |
| 1994 | 2.56 | 7.01 | 3.94 |
| 1993 | 2.45 | 6.97 | 3.97 |
| 1992 | 2.29 | 7.06 | 4.02 |
| 1991 | 2.22 | 7.34 | 4.1 |
| 1990 | 2.13 | 7.71 | 4.15 |
| 1989 | 2.12 | 7.61 | 4.16 |
| 1988 | 2.08 | 7.92 | 4.16 |
| 1987 | 1.97 | 8.07 | 4.1 |
| 1986 | 1.87 | 7.88 | 4.04 |
| 1985 | 1.79 | 8.2 | 4.05 |
| 1984 | 1.79 | 8.34 | 4.07 |
| 1983 | 1.67 | 8.1 | 4.01 |
| 1982 | 1.61 | 8.32 | 4.05 |
| 1981 | 1.56 | 8.4 | 4.18 |
| 1980 | 1.6 | 8.23 | 4.33 |
| 1979 | 1.65 | 7.98 | 4.46 |
| 1978 | 1.63 | 8 | 4.42 |
| 1977 | 1.47 | 9.04 | 4.36 |
| 1976 | 1.32 | 9.3 | 4.31 |
| 1975 | 1.29 | 8.99 | 4.15 |
| 1974 | 1.15 | 8.6 | 4.23 |
| 1973 | 1.15 | 8.57 | 4.32 |
| 1972 | 1.13 | 8.09 | 4.16 |
| 1971 | 1.09 | 8.04 | 4.04 |
| 1970 | 1.11 | 8.33 | 4.15 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Carbon dioxide from energy, industry, farming and waste, divided by the population; land use and forests are left out.
- Source: EDGAR (European Commission JRC) and the IEA, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 202 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
China vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025