Nigeria vs South Africa
Nigeria vs South Africa: CO₂ per person
CO₂ per person in 2024: 0.57 tonnes in Nigeria and 6.88 tonnes in South Africa, by EDGAR estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 6.31 tonnes, or 12 times that in Nigeria.
tonnes per person · EDGAR
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1970.
- In 2024, Nigeria ranked 157 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 | Nigeria | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0.57 | 6.88 | 4.69 |
| 2023 | 0.55 | 6.76 | 4.68 |
| 2022 | 0.58 | 6.88 | 4.67 |
| 2021 | 0.6 | 7.29 | 4.69 |
| 2020 | 0.56 | 7.45 | 4.48 |
| 2019 | 0.6 | 8.01 | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 0.59 | 8.08 | 4.74 |
| 2017 | 0.58 | 8.15 | 4.67 |
| 2016 | 0.63 | 8.04 | 4.65 |
| 2015 | 0.62 | 8.15 | 4.7 |
| 2014 | 0.66 | 8.75 | 4.78 |
| 2013 | 0.63 | 8.69 | 4.81 |
| 2012 | 0.58 | 8.58 | 4.77 |
| 2011 | 0.61 | 8.38 | 4.76 |
| 2010 | 0.57 | 8.87 | 4.67 |
| 2009 | 0.5 | 8.83 | 4.45 |
| 2008 | 0.58 | 9.55 | 4.56 |
| 2007 | 0.55 | 9.1 | 4.59 |
| 2006 | 0.62 | 8.81 | 4.48 |
| 2005 | 0.71 | 8.82 | 4.39 |
| 2004 | 0.74 | 8.69 | 4.28 |
| 2003 | 0.78 | 8.12 | 4.15 |
| 2002 | 0.72 | 7.72 | 4.02 |
| 2001 | 0.82 | 7.51 | 4.01 |
| 2000 | 0.79 | 7.36 | 4.01 |
| 1999 | 0.73 | 7.29 | 3.95 |
| 1998 | 0.76 | 7.73 | 3.98 |
| 1997 | 0.86 | 7.69 | 4.02 |
| 1996 | 0.91 | 7.45 | 4.01 |
| 1995 | 0.8 | 7.3 | 3.99 |
| 1994 | 0.75 | 7.01 | 3.94 |
| 1993 | 0.82 | 6.97 | 3.97 |
| 1992 | 0.87 | 7.06 | 4.02 |
| 1991 | 0.82 | 7.34 | 4.1 |
| 1990 | 0.77 | 7.71 | 4.15 |
| 1989 | 0.84 | 7.61 | 4.16 |
| 1988 | 0.84 | 7.92 | 4.16 |
| 1987 | 0.76 | 8.07 | 4.1 |
| 1986 | 0.82 | 7.88 | 4.04 |
| 1985 | 0.86 | 8.2 | 4.05 |
| 1984 | 0.85 | 8.34 | 4.07 |
| 1983 | 0.87 | 8.1 | 4.01 |
| 1982 | 0.89 | 8.32 | 4.05 |
| 1981 | 0.96 | 8.4 | 4.18 |
| 1980 | 1.22 | 8.23 | 4.33 |
| 1979 | 1.39 | 7.98 | 4.46 |
| 1978 | 1 | 8 | 4.42 |
| 1977 | 0.99 | 9.04 | 4.36 |
| 1976 | 1.15 | 9.3 | 4.31 |
| 1975 | 1.01 | 8.99 | 4.15 |
| 1974 | 1.36 | 8.6 | 4.23 |
| 1973 | 1.11 | 8.57 | 4.32 |
| 1972 | 0.94 | 8.09 | 4.16 |
| 1971 | 0.75 | 8.04 | 4.04 |
| 1970 | 0.52 | 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
Nigeria vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyNigeria: 54.5 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionNigeria: 3.92% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateNigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNigeria: 228 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthNigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNigeria: 63.8% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageNigeria: 17.8 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNigeria: 3% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateNigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNigeria: $1.76B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personNigeria: $9 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNigeria: 223,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerNigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025