South Africa vs Zimbabwe
South Africa vs Zimbabwe: CO₂ per person
CO₂ per person in 2024: 6.88 tonnes in South Africa and 0.77 tonnes in Zimbabwe, by EDGAR estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 6.1 tonnes, or 8.9 times that in Zimbabwe.
tonnes per person · EDGAR
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1970.
- In 2024, South Africa ranked 35 and Zimbabwe ranked 147 of 202 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 4.69 tonnes in 2024.
Every year
tonnes per person · EDGAR
| Year | South Africa | Zimbabwe | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6.88 | 0.77 | 4.69 |
| 2023 | 6.76 | 0.77 | 4.68 |
| 2022 | 6.88 | 0.72 | 4.67 |
| 2021 | 7.29 | 0.69 | 4.69 |
| 2020 | 7.45 | 0.58 | 4.48 |
| 2019 | 8.01 | 0.73 | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 8.08 | 0.82 | 4.74 |
| 2017 | 8.15 | 0.71 | 4.67 |
| 2016 | 8.04 | 0.77 | 4.65 |
| 2015 | 8.15 | 0.88 | 4.7 |
| 2014 | 8.75 | 0.89 | 4.78 |
| 2013 | 8.69 | 0.91 | 4.81 |
| 2012 | 8.58 | 0.92 | 4.77 |
| 2011 | 8.38 | 1.17 | 4.76 |
| 2010 | 8.87 | 0.75 | 4.67 |
| 2009 | 8.83 | 0.6 | 4.45 |
| 2008 | 9.55 | 0.64 | 4.56 |
| 2007 | 9.1 | 0.83 | 4.59 |
| 2006 | 8.81 | 0.85 | 4.48 |
| 2005 | 8.82 | 0.92 | 4.39 |
| 2004 | 8.69 | 0.84 | 4.28 |
| 2003 | 8.12 | 0.89 | 4.15 |
| 2002 | 7.72 | 1.1 | 4.02 |
| 2001 | 7.51 | 1.22 | 4.01 |
| 2000 | 7.36 | 1.23 | 4.01 |
| 1999 | 7.29 | 1.43 | 3.95 |
| 1998 | 7.73 | 1.29 | 3.98 |
| 1997 | 7.69 | 1.3 | 4.02 |
| 1996 | 7.45 | 1.41 | 4.01 |
| 1995 | 7.3 | 1.48 | 3.99 |
| 1994 | 7.01 | 1.52 | 3.94 |
| 1993 | 6.97 | 1.63 | 3.97 |
| 1992 | 7.06 | 1.79 | 4.02 |
| 1991 | 7.34 | 1.84 | 4.1 |
| 1990 | 7.71 | 1.72 | 4.15 |
| 1989 | 7.61 | 1.57 | 4.16 |
| 1988 | 7.92 | 1.6 | 4.16 |
| 1987 | 8.07 | 1.7 | 4.1 |
| 1986 | 7.88 | 1.38 | 4.04 |
| 1985 | 8.2 | 1.25 | 4.05 |
| 1984 | 8.34 | 1.12 | 4.07 |
| 1983 | 8.1 | 1.1 | 4.01 |
| 1982 | 8.32 | 1.16 | 4.05 |
| 1981 | 8.4 | 1.25 | 4.18 |
| 1980 | 8.23 | 1.39 | 4.33 |
| 1979 | 7.98 | 1.38 | 4.46 |
| 1978 | 8 | 1.36 | 4.42 |
| 1977 | 9.04 | 1.4 | 4.36 |
| 1976 | 9.3 | 1.6 | 4.31 |
| 1975 | 8.99 | 1.5 | 4.15 |
| 1974 | 8.6 | 1.76 | 4.23 |
| 1973 | 8.57 | 1.85 | 4.32 |
| 1972 | 8.09 | 1.64 | 4.16 |
| 1971 | 8.04 | 1.76 | 4.04 |
| 1970 | 8.33 | 1.83 | 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
South Africa vs Zimbabwe
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 62.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Zimbabwe: 6.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zimbabwe: 33.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Zimbabwe: 3.19% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Zimbabwe: 26.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Zimbabwe: 16.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Zimbabwe: 1.68% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Zimbabwe: 40.5% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Zimbabwe: -6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Zimbabwe: 0.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Zimbabwe: $134M in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Zimbabwe: $10 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Zimbabwe: 5.3% of government spending in 2005
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Zimbabwe: 51,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Zimbabwe: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Zimbabwe: 0.88% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Zimbabwe: 20 million TIV in 2023
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Zimbabwe: 4 million TIV in 2001