How have things changed?, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: How have things changed?, per capita was 0.0083 metric tons per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
How have things changed?, per capita in South Africa, 1965–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in metric tons per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for how have things changed?, per capita in South Africa is 0.0083 metric tons per person, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 60 years on record.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 37.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, how have things changed?, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.1053 metric tons per person in 1968 and was at its lowest, 0.0083 metric tons per person, in 2024.
South Africa ranks 117th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
How have things changed?, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | metric tons per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0.0744 metric tons per person | — |
| 1966 | 0.0722 metric tons per person | -3.0% |
| 1967 | 0.0871 metric tons per person | +20.7% |
| 1968 | 0.1053 metric tons per person | +20.9% |
| 1969 | 0.091 metric tons per person | -13.6% |
| 1970 | 0.0613 metric tons per person | -32.6% |
| 1971 | 0.0563 metric tons per person | -8.2% |
| 1972 | 0.0537 metric tons per person | -4.5% |
| 1973 | 0.062 metric tons per person | +15.4% |
| 1974 | 0.0618 metric tons per person | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 0.058 metric tons per person | -6.2% |
| 1976 | 0.0482 metric tons per person | -16.8% |
| 1977 | 0.0405 metric tons per person | -16.0% |
| 1978 | 0.0399 metric tons per person | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 0.038 metric tons per person | -5.0% |
| 1980 | 0.0316 metric tons per person | -16.8% |
| 1981 | 0.031 metric tons per person | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 0.0294 metric tons per person | -5.3% |
| 1983 | 0.0304 metric tons per person | +3.4% |
| 1984 | 0.0232 metric tons per person | -23.8% |
| 1985 | 0.0242 metric tons per person | +4.6% |
| 1986 | 0.0236 metric tons per person | -2.6% |
| 1987 | 0.0393 metric tons per person | +66.5% |
| 1988 | 0.0348 metric tons per person | -11.6% |
| 1989 | 0.0229 metric tons per person | -34.1% |
| 1990 | 0.0136 metric tons per person | -40.7% |
| 1991 | 0.0124 metric tons per person | -8.7% |
| 1992 | 0.0169 metric tons per person | +36.2% |
| 1993 | 0.0137 metric tons per person | -18.9% |
| 1994 | 0.0127 metric tons per person | -7.4% |
| 1995 | 0.0135 metric tons per person | +6.4% |
| 1996 | 0.0101 metric tons per person | -25.2% |
| 1997 | 0.0119 metric tons per person | +17.9% |
| 1998 | 0.0127 metric tons per person | +6.9% |
| 1999 | 0.0136 metric tons per person | +7.1% |
| 2000 | 0.0148 metric tons per person | +8.3% |
| 2001 | 0.0172 metric tons per person | +16.5% |
| 2002 | 0.0176 metric tons per person | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 0.0181 metric tons per person | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 0.0195 metric tons per person | +7.4% |
| 2005 | 0.0173 metric tons per person | -11.1% |
| 2006 | 0.0132 metric tons per person | -23.8% |
| 2007 | 0.0145 metric tons per person | +9.8% |
| 2008 | 0.0137 metric tons per person | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 0.0107 metric tons per person | -22.1% |
| 2010 | 0.0132 metric tons per person | +23.8% |
| 2011 | 0.011 metric tons per person | -17.2% |
| 2012 | 0.0148 metric tons per person | +35.0% |
| 2013 | 0.0094 metric tons per person | -36.8% |
| 2014 | 0.0132 metric tons per person | +41.5% |
| 2015 | 0.0113 metric tons per person | -15.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0117 metric tons per person | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 0.0104 metric tons per person | -11.2% |
| 2018 | 0.0108 metric tons per person | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 0.0089 metric tons per person | -17.8% |
| 2020 | 0.011 metric tons per person | +23.4% |
| 2021 | 0.0102 metric tons per person | -7.0% |
| 2022 | 0.0096 metric tons per person | -6.2% |
| 2023 | 0.0084 metric tons per person | -11.9% |
| 2024 | 0.0083 metric tons per person | -1.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0083 metric tons per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0109 metric tons per person, 76% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0083 metric tons per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0062 metric tons per person, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.086 metric tons per person | 0.0722 metric tons per person | 0.1053 metric tons per person | 5 |
| 1970s | 0.052 metric tons per person | 0.038 metric tons per person | 0.062 metric tons per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.029 metric tons per person | 0.0229 metric tons per person | 0.0393 metric tons per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0131 metric tons per person | 0.0101 metric tons per person | 0.0169 metric tons per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0157 metric tons per person | 0.0107 metric tons per person | 0.0195 metric tons per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0115 metric tons per person | 0.0089 metric tons per person | 0.0148 metric tons per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0095 metric tons per person | 0.0083 metric tons per person | 0.011 metric tons per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 how have things changed?, per capita in South Africa?
- How have things changed?, per capita in South Africa was 0.0083 metric tons per person in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest how have things changed?, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1053 metric tons per person in 1968.
- What is the lowest how have things changed?, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0083 metric tons per person in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for how have things changed?, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 117th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is how have things changed?, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of How have things changed?, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
How have things changed? divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
How have things changed? ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- How have things changed? Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
How have things changed? divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.