China vs South Africa: Share of primary energy from coal
China
56.9%
in 2025
South Africa
72.4%
in 2025
China rank
3rd
South Africa rank
1st
Share of primary energy from coal over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 72.4% against 56.9% in China, a difference of 15.5%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.3 times China's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 61 shared years of data; in 1965 it was China ahead.
China ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 1st of 79 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 86.6% | 78.6% | 7.9% | China |
| 1970s | 75.8% | 74.5% | 1.3% | China |
| 1980s | 78.2% | 78.7% | 0.5% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 77.2% | 74.6% | 2.6% | China |
| 2000s | 74.3% | 72.8% | 1.6% | China |
| 2010s | 68.4% | 71.1% | 2.7% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 59.3% | 71.9% | 12.5% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of primary energy from coal, China or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 72.4% against 56.9% in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of primary energy from coal between China and South Africa?
- 15.5%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for share of primary energy from coal?
- China ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 1st of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of primary energy from coal. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total energy supply.