Exposure to extreme temperature — Annual temperature change in South Africa

South Africa: Exposure to extreme temperature — Annual temperature change was 0.5207 Degrees celsius in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
0.5207 Degrees celsius
Change on year
up 25.0%
World rank
234th
of 263 countries
All-time high
1.39 Degrees celsius
in 2019
All-time low
-0.8371 Degrees celsius
in 1996
Years of data
45
1979–2023

Exposure to extreme temperature — Annual temperature change in South Africa, 1979–2023

-1-0.500.511.51979200120231979: -0.237 Degrees celsius1980: -0.198 Degrees celsius1981: -0.789 Degrees celsius1982: -0.125 Degrees celsius1983: 0.299 Degrees celsius1984: 0.073 Degrees celsius1985: 0.19 Degrees celsius1986: 0.148 Degrees celsius1987: 0.222 Degrees celsius1988: -0.321 Degrees celsius1989: -0.496 Degrees celsius1990: -0.167 Degrees celsius1991: -0.177 Degrees celsius1992: 0.321 Degrees celsius1993: 0.348 Degrees celsius1994: -0.259 Degrees celsius1995: -0.167 Degrees celsius1996: -0.837 Degrees celsius1997: -0.416 Degrees celsius1998: 0.166 Degrees celsius1999: 0.613 Degrees celsius2000: -0.447 Degrees celsius2001: -0.087 Degrees celsius2002: 0.081 Degrees celsius2003: 0.399 Degrees celsius2004: 0.336 Degrees celsius2005: 0.417 Degrees celsius2006: -0.245 Degrees celsius2007: 0.155 Degrees celsius2008: 0.178 Degrees celsius2009: 0.065 Degrees celsius2010: 0.52 Degrees celsius2011: -0.359 Degrees celsius2012: 0.016 Degrees celsius2013: 0.152 Degrees celsius2014: 0.253 Degrees celsius2015: 1.1 Degrees celsius2016: 1.1 Degrees celsius2017: 0.558 Degrees celsius2018: 0.648 Degrees celsius2019: 1.4 Degrees celsius2020: 0.472 Degrees celsius2021: 0.141 Degrees celsius2022: 0.417 Degrees celsius2023: 0.521 Degrees celsius

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Degrees celsius.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.5207 Degrees celsius for exposure to extreme temperature — annual temperature change in 2023.

The figure is up 25.0% on the previous year and up 243.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exposure to extreme temperature — annual temperature change in South Africa peaked at 1.39 Degrees celsius in 2019 and was at its lowest, -0.8371 Degrees celsius, in 1996.

South Africa ranks 234th of 263 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s -0.237 Degrees celsius -0.237 Degrees celsius -0.237 Degrees celsius 1
1980s -0.0997 Degrees celsius -0.7893 Degrees celsius 0.2994 Degrees celsius 10
1990s -0.0574 Degrees celsius -0.8371 Degrees celsius 0.6131 Degrees celsius 10
2000s 0.0853 Degrees celsius -0.4472 Degrees celsius 0.4168 Degrees celsius 10
2010s 0.5393 Degrees celsius -0.3586 Degrees celsius 1.39 Degrees celsius 10
2020s 0.3874 Degrees celsius 0.1406 Degrees celsius 0.5207 Degrees celsius 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 231 Wallis and Futuna 0.539 Degrees celsius compare
  2. 232 British Indian Ocean Territory 0.5257 Degrees celsius compare
  3. 233 Seychelles 0.5253 Degrees celsius compare
  4. 235 Guam 0.5097 Degrees celsius compare
  5. 236 Palau 0.5044 Degrees celsius compare
  6. 237 Northern Mariana Islands 0.5031 Degrees celsius compare

See the full ranking of 979 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is exposure to extreme temperature — annual temperature change in South Africa?
Exposure to extreme temperature — annual temperature change in South Africa was 0.5207 Degrees celsius in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest exposure to extreme temperature — annual temperature change recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 1.39 Degrees celsius in 2019.
What is the lowest exposure to extreme temperature — annual temperature change recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was -0.8371 Degrees celsius in 1996.
How does South Africa rank for exposure to extreme temperature — annual temperature change?
South Africa ranks 234th out of 263 countries with data for 2023.
Is exposure to extreme temperature — annual temperature change rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 243.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Exposure to extreme temperature — Annual temperature change. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Exposure to extreme temperature — Annual temperature change in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/exposure-to-extreme-temperature-annual-temperature-change/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Exposure to extreme temperature — Annual temperature change
Unit
Degrees celsius
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
979 places, 44,055 data points, 1979–2023
Last refreshed

The dataset provides a global assessment of changes in average temperature by providing the temperature anomaly, days with above-average temperatures and days with below-average temperatures. Exposure indicators to extreme temperature have been prepared jointly by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). Please see the working paper for a more complete description of the methods. The dataset also provides a global assessment of extreme temperatures through the use of a variety of climate indices, including hot days, tropical nights, the Universal Thermal Climate Index and icing days. The datasets span the period 1979-2022, depending on data availability and are the result of the use of a variety of geospatial data sources. The dataset has a global coverage on a national level; on the sub-national TL2 level (i.e. large subnational regions) results are reported for all OECD countries as well as for Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa. A number of aggregates are included: Euro area, European Union, Advanced economies, Emerging market economies, G7, G20, OECD, OECD Europe, OECD Asia Oceania, OECD Americas and the LAC region. Data source(s): Copernicus Climate Data Store temperature data (ERA5) and Global Human Settlement Layer population grid data. Contact: ENV.Stat@oecd.org Database documentation