South Africa vs Vanuatu: Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas
South Africa
92.4%
in 2024
Vanuatu
90.1%
in 2024
South Africa rank
175th
Vanuatu rank
177th
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas over time
- South Africa
- Vanuatu
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 92.4% against 90.1% in Vanuatu, a difference of 2.3%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 29 shared years of data; in 1996 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 175th and Vanuatu ranks 177th of 212 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and Vanuatu in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Vanuatu | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 85.1% | 76.0% | 9.1% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 86.0% | 81.0% | 5.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 86.9% | 88.9% | 2.0% | Vanuatu |
| 2020s | 90.0% | 93.5% | 3.4% | Vanuatu |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas, South Africa or Vanuatu?
- South Africa, at 92.4% against 90.1% in Vanuatu as of 2024.
- What is the difference in access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas between South Africa and Vanuatu?
- 2.3%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Vanuatu?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Vanuatu rank globally for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas?
- South Africa ranks 175th and Vanuatu ranks 177th 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.