Rwanda vs South Africa
Rwanda vs South Africa: CO₂ per person
CO₂ per person in 2024: 0.16 tonnes in Rwanda and 6.88 tonnes in South Africa, by EDGAR estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 6.71 tonnes, or 42 times that in Rwanda.
tonnes per person · EDGAR
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1970.
- In 2024, Rwanda ranked 183 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 | Rwanda | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0.16 | 6.88 | 4.69 |
| 2023 | 0.16 | 6.76 | 4.68 |
| 2022 | 0.16 | 6.88 | 4.67 |
| 2021 | 0.13 | 7.29 | 4.69 |
| 2020 | 0.11 | 7.45 | 4.48 |
| 2019 | 0.12 | 8.01 | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 0.12 | 8.08 | 4.74 |
| 2017 | 0.11 | 8.15 | 4.67 |
| 2016 | 0.1 | 8.04 | 4.65 |
| 2015 | 0.1 | 8.15 | 4.7 |
| 2014 | 0.08 | 8.75 | 4.78 |
| 2013 | 0.09 | 8.69 | 4.81 |
| 2012 | 0.08 | 8.58 | 4.77 |
| 2011 | 0.07 | 8.38 | 4.76 |
| 2010 | 0.07 | 8.87 | 4.67 |
| 2009 | 0.07 | 8.83 | 4.45 |
| 2008 | 0.07 | 9.55 | 4.56 |
| 2007 | 0.07 | 9.1 | 4.59 |
| 2006 | 0.08 | 8.81 | 4.48 |
| 2005 | 0.08 | 8.82 | 4.39 |
| 2004 | 0.08 | 8.69 | 4.28 |
| 2003 | 0.08 | 8.12 | 4.15 |
| 2002 | 0.1 | 7.72 | 4.02 |
| 2001 | 0.08 | 7.51 | 4.01 |
| 2000 | 0.08 | 7.36 | 4.01 |
| 1999 | 0.06 | 7.29 | 3.95 |
| 1998 | 0.06 | 7.73 | 3.98 |
| 1997 | 0.06 | 7.69 | 4.02 |
| 1996 | 0.07 | 7.45 | 4.01 |
| 1995 | 0.08 | 7.3 | 3.99 |
| 1994 | 0.07 | 7.01 | 3.94 |
| 1993 | 0.06 | 6.97 | 3.97 |
| 1992 | 0.06 | 7.06 | 4.02 |
| 1991 | 0.07 | 7.34 | 4.1 |
| 1990 | 0.07 | 7.71 | 4.15 |
| 1989 | 0.08 | 7.61 | 4.16 |
| 1988 | 0.08 | 7.92 | 4.16 |
| 1987 | 0.07 | 8.07 | 4.1 |
| 1986 | 0.07 | 7.88 | 4.04 |
| 1985 | 0.07 | 8.2 | 4.05 |
| 1984 | 0.07 | 8.34 | 4.07 |
| 1983 | 0.08 | 8.1 | 4.01 |
| 1982 | 0.08 | 8.32 | 4.05 |
| 1981 | 0.08 | 8.4 | 4.18 |
| 1980 | 0.07 | 8.23 | 4.33 |
| 1979 | 0.03 | 7.98 | 4.46 |
| 1978 | 0.03 | 8 | 4.42 |
| 1977 | 0.03 | 9.04 | 4.36 |
| 1976 | 0.03 | 9.3 | 4.31 |
| 1975 | 0.03 | 8.99 | 4.15 |
| 1974 | 0.02 | 8.6 | 4.23 |
| 1973 | 0.03 | 8.57 | 4.32 |
| 1972 | 0.03 | 8.09 | 4.16 |
| 1971 | 0.02 | 8.04 | 4.04 |
| 1970 | 0.02 | 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
Rwanda vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyRwanda: 67.8 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityRwanda: 3.8 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityRwanda: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionRwanda: 3.87% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateRwanda: 11 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationRwanda: 14 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthRwanda: 2.18% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateRwanda: 3.7 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationRwanda: 30.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageRwanda: 19.4 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overRwanda: 3.8% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateRwanda: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingRwanda: 1.29% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsRwanda: $194M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personRwanda: $13 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingRwanda: 4.7% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelRwanda: 35,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerRwanda: 0.07% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersRwanda: 0.7% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsRwanda: 37 million TIV in 2023South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025