South Africa vs USSR: Share of primary energy from coal
South Africa
72.4%
in 2025
USSR
27.0%
in 1984
South Africa rank
1st
USSR rank
12th
Share of primary energy from coal over time
- South Africa
- USSR
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 72.4% against 27.0% in USSR, a difference of 45.4%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 2.7 times USSR's.
Across all 20 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 1st and USSR ranks 12th of 79 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 78.6% | 48.1% | 30.5% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 74.5% | 36.7% | 37.8% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 79.0% | 28.6% | 50.3% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of primary energy from coal, South Africa or USSR?
- South Africa, at 72.4% against 27.0% in USSR as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of primary energy from coal between South Africa and USSR?
- 45.4%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and USSR?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1984.
- How do South Africa and USSR rank globally for share of primary energy from coal?
- South Africa ranks 1st and USSR ranks 12th 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.