South Africa's methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) was 40 in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 13.74% from 46.37 in 2014 (1.47% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 40 | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 44.25 | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 46.37 | 2014 |
| Highest | 46.37 | 2014 |
| Lowest | 13.54 | 1972 |
| Average since 2015 | 42.7 | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 13.9 | 1970 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, South Africa's methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) rose 0.5% on 2023 (from 39.79 to 40).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.2% and a typical year strayed about 2.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 13% in 1979 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.7% in 2021. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.78 a year. A straight line explains 89% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2024, South Africa had the 14th highest value of the 192 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 40 | 2024 |
| World | 3,237 | 2024 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 306.96 | 2024 |
| Upper middle income | 1,702 | 2024 |
Closest to South Africa in the 2024 ranking
What this measures
A measure of annual emissions of methane (CH4), one of the six Kyoto greenhouse gases (GHG), from fugitive emissions (subsector of the energy sector) including IPCC 2006 codes 1.A.1.bc Petroleum Refining - Manufacture of Solid Fuels and Other Energy Industries, 1.B.1 Solid Fuels, 1.B.2 Oil and Natural Gas, 5.B. The measure is standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) factors of IPCC's 5th Assessment Report (AR5).
Limitations: Global GHG emissions are currently not directly measurable, but approaches for their estimation exist, and numerous sources exist to supply data for this indicator. Reputable scientific organizations produce these data for use for research, policy analysis, climate negotiations, and broader public communications. The estimated accuracy from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes are quite high, as quantities of fossil fuels and other emissive materials (such as cement and steel) produced are well known. For these sectors, emissions estimates are roughly accurate to within 10% when aggregated to the global level and between 4% and 35% at the country level (Crippa et al., 2023).
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 55 values
| Year | Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 40 |
| 2023 | 39.79 |
| 2022 | 39.61 |
| 2021 | 40.29 |
| 2020 | 42.72 |
| 2019 | 44.25 |
| 2018 | 44.71 |
| 2017 | 44.9 |
| 2016 | 44.87 |
| 2015 | 45.85 |
| 2014 |
Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) in nearby economies
- Angola — 21.75 (2024)
- Benin — 1.72 (2024)
- Botswana — 1.07 (2024)
- Burkina Faso — 2.3 (2024)
- Burundi — 1.08 (2024)
- Cabo Verde — 0.0026 (2024)
- Cameroon — 7.73 (2024)
- Central African Republic — 0.67 (2024)
- Chad — 3.11 (2024)
More environment data for South Africa
- Population in largest city — 6.44 million (2025)
- Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 15.6% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 23.36 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 36.07% (2025)
- Rural population — 23.43 million (2025)
- Rural population (% of total population) — 36.18% (2025)
- Urban population — 41.32 million (2025)
- Urban population (% of total population) — 63.82% (2025)
- Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 8,439 (2024)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is South Africa's methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e)?
- 40 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1970?
- It is up 187.86% from 13.9 in 1970 (1.98% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 46.37 in 2014 and the lowest 13.54 in 1972.
- How does South Africa rank?
- 14th highest of 192 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) unusual for South Africa?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.GHG.CH4.FE.MT.CE.AR5, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, Joint Research Centre (JRC) - European Commission, uri: https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dataset_ghg2024, publisher: JRC European Commission, date published: 2024; International Energy Agency (IEA), uri: https://edgar.j… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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