Mauritania vs South Africa: Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas
Mauritania
94.2%
in 2024
South Africa
92.4%
in 2024
Mauritania rank
173rd
South Africa rank
175th
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas over time
- Mauritania
- South Africa
How they compare
Mauritania currently reports 94.2% against 92.4% in South Africa, a difference of 1.8%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
Mauritania ranks 173rd and South Africa ranks 175th of 212 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Mauritania averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Mauritania | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 54.5% | 86.0% | 31.5% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 78.2% | 86.9% | 8.8% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 91.3% | 90.0% | 1.3% | Mauritania |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas, Mauritania or South Africa?
- Mauritania, at 94.2% against 92.4% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas between Mauritania and South Africa?
- 1.8%, with Mauritania ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Mauritania and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Mauritania and South Africa rank globally for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas?
- Mauritania ranks 173rd 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.