Annual temperature anomalies in South Africa
South Africa: Annual temperature anomalies was 0.4358 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.4358
Change on year
down 56.7%
World rank
144th
of 193 countries
All-time high
1.22
in 2019
All-time low
-1.52
in 1955
Years of data
86
1940–2025
Annual temperature anomalies in South Africa, 1940–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, annual temperature anomalies in South Africa stood at 0.4358.
The figure is down 56.7% on the previous year and down 53.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual temperature anomalies in South Africa peaked at 1.22 in 2019 and was at its lowest, -1.52, in 1955.
That places South Africa 144th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual temperature anomalies in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | -0.1809 | — |
| 1941 | -0.0258 | -85.8% |
| 1942 | -0.9706 | +3668.0% |
| 1943 | -1.2 | +23.2% |
| 1944 | -1.29 | +8.1% |
| 1945 | -0.5767 | -55.4% |
| 1946 | -0.7416 | +28.6% |
| 1947 | -1.19 | +60.8% |
| 1948 | -1.34 | +12.6% |
| 1949 | -0.2525 | -81.2% |
| 1950 | -0.5321 | +110.7% |
| 1951 | -0.5083 | -4.5% |
| 1952 | -0.3681 | -27.6% |
| 1953 | -0.0902 | -75.5% |
| 1954 | -1.23 | +1260.4% |
| 1955 | -1.52 | +24.3% |
| 1956 | -1.05 | -31.5% |
| 1957 | -0.6928 | -33.7% |
| 1958 | -0.5235 | -24.4% |
| 1959 | -0.6804 | +30.0% |
| 1960 | -0.6474 | -4.8% |
| 1961 | -0.6595 | +1.9% |
| 1962 | -0.302 | -54.2% |
| 1963 | -0.6995 | +131.7% |
| 1964 | -0.8731 | +24.8% |
| 1965 | -0.7174 | -17.8% |
| 1966 | -0.2953 | -58.8% |
| 1967 | -0.8994 | +204.6% |
| 1968 | -1.35 | +49.8% |
| 1969 | -0.5267 | -60.9% |
| 1970 | -0.3899 | -26.0% |
| 1971 | -0.8368 | +114.6% |
| 1972 | -0.4724 | -43.6% |
| 1973 | -0.6343 | +34.3% |
| 1974 | -1.23 | +93.3% |
| 1975 | -1.17 | -4.7% |
| 1976 | -1.38 | +18.1% |
| 1977 | -0.5957 | -56.8% |
| 1978 | -0.745 | +25.1% |
| 1979 | -0.4564 | -38.7% |
| 1980 | -0.4198 | -8.0% |
| 1981 | -1.02 | +142.8% |
| 1982 | -0.3342 | -67.2% |
| 1983 | 0.0955 | -128.6% |
| 1984 | -0.1334 | -239.7% |
| 1985 | -0.0265 | -80.1% |
| 1986 | -0.0681 | +156.6% |
| 1987 | 0.0086 | -112.7% |
| 1988 | -0.5442 | -6398.2% |
| 1989 | -0.7252 | +33.3% |
| 1990 | -0.3809 | -47.5% |
| 1991 | -0.4011 | +5.3% |
| 1992 | 0.1077 | -126.9% |
| 1993 | 0.1362 | +26.4% |
| 1994 | -0.4798 | -452.4% |
| 1995 | -0.3842 | -19.9% |
| 1996 | -1.08 | +180.3% |
| 1997 | -0.6419 | -40.4% |
| 1998 | -0.0436 | -93.2% |
| 1999 | 0.4143 | -1049.4% |
| 2000 | -0.6746 | -262.9% |
| 2001 | -0.309 | -54.2% |
| 2002 | -0.1366 | -55.8% |
| 2003 | 0.1954 | -243.1% |
| 2004 | 0.1246 | -36.2% |
| 2005 | 0.208 | +66.9% |
| 2006 | -0.4715 | -326.7% |
| 2007 | -0.0589 | -87.5% |
| 2008 | -0.0336 | -43.0% |
| 2009 | -0.1522 | +353.4% |
| 2010 | 0.3144 | -306.5% |
| 2011 | -0.5898 | -287.6% |
| 2012 | -0.2019 | -65.8% |
| 2013 | -0.0565 | -72.0% |
| 2014 | 0.0427 | -175.5% |
| 2015 | 0.9307 | +2081.6% |
| 2016 | 0.9182 | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 0.3714 | -59.5% |
| 2018 | 0.4547 | +22.4% |
| 2019 | 1.22 | +169.0% |
| 2020 | 0.2706 | -77.9% |
| 2021 | -0.0581 | -121.5% |
| 2022 | 0.2101 | -461.8% |
| 2023 | 0.326 | +55.2% |
| 2024 | 1.01 | +208.6% |
| 2025 | 0.4358 | -56.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.4358 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.7693, 57% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.4358 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.5364, 81% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual temperature anomalies in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | -6398.2% | 0.0086 | -0.5442 |
| 1942 | -3668.0% | -0.0258 | -0.9706 |
| 2015 | +2081.6% | 0.0427 | 0.9307 |
| 1954 | -1260.4% | -0.0902 | -1.23 |
| 1999 | +1049.4% | -0.0436 | 0.4143 |
| 1994 | -452.4% | 0.1362 | -0.4798 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | -0.7774 | -1.34 | -0.0258 | 10 |
| 1950s | -0.7192 | -1.52 | -0.0902 | 10 |
| 1960s | -0.6968 | -1.35 | -0.2953 | 10 |
| 1970s | -0.7904 | -1.38 | -0.3899 | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.3166 | -1.02 | 0.0955 | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.275 | -1.08 | 0.4143 | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.1308 | -0.6746 | 0.208 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3407 | -0.5898 | 1.22 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3651 | -0.0581 | 1.01 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 141 Tanzania 0.4464 compare
- 142 South Sudan 0.4435 compare
- 143 East Timor 0.4414 compare
- 145 Mozambique 0.4333 compare
- 146 Lesotho 0.43 compare
- 147 Bahrain 0.4148 compare
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual temperature anomalies in South Africa?
- Annual temperature anomalies in South Africa was 0.4358 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual temperature anomalies recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.22 in 2019.
- What is the lowest annual temperature anomalies recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.52 in 1955.
- How does South Africa rank for annual temperature anomalies?
- South Africa ranks 144th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual temperature anomalies rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 53.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual temperature anomalies. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).