Eswatini vs South Africa: Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas
Eswatini
92.1%
in 2024
South Africa
92.4%
in 2024
Eswatini rank
176th
South Africa rank
175th
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas over time
- Eswatini
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 92.4% against 92.1% in Eswatini, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
Eswatini ranks 176th and South Africa ranks 175th of 212 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Eswatini averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Eswatini | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 62.3% | 86.0% | 23.7% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 79.9% | 86.9% | 7.0% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 91.2% | 90.0% | 1.2% | Eswatini |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas, Eswatini or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 92.4% against 92.1% in Eswatini as of 2024.
- What is the difference in access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas between Eswatini and South Africa?
- 0.3%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Eswatini and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Eswatini and South Africa rank globally for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas?
- Eswatini ranks 176th and South Africa ranks 175th of 212 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The definition used in international statistics adopts a very low cutoff for what it means to ‘have access to electricity’. It is defined as having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.