China vs South Africa: Coal production per person
China
18,569 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
South Africa
23,973 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
China rank
5th
South Africa rank
4th
Coal production per person over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 23,973 kilowatt-hours per person against 18,569 kilowatt-hours per person in China, a difference of 5,404 kilowatt-hours per person.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.3 times China's.
Across all 126 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
China ranks 5th and South Africa ranks 4th of 215 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 13 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 62.56 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,594 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,531 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1910s | 126.73 kilowatt-hours per person | 8,589 kilowatt-hours per person | 8,463 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1920s | 202.4 kilowatt-hours per person | 10,065 kilowatt-hours per person | 9,863 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1930s | 313.39 kilowatt-hours per person | 9,247 kilowatt-hours per person | 8,934 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1940s | 405.25 kilowatt-hours per person | 12,634 kilowatt-hours per person | 12,228 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1950s | 1,195 kilowatt-hours per person | 14,564 kilowatt-hours per person | 13,369 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1960s | 2,393 kilowatt-hours per person | 16,264 kilowatt-hours per person | 13,871 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1970s | 3,015 kilowatt-hours per person | 19,104 kilowatt-hours per person | 16,089 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1980s | 4,505 kilowatt-hours per person | 30,450 kilowatt-hours per person | 25,945 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1990s | 5,995 kilowatt-hours per person | 29,941 kilowatt-hours per person | 23,946 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 2000s | 10,061 kilowatt-hours per person | 31,006 kilowatt-hours per person | 20,945 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 2010s | 15,165 kilowatt-hours per person | 30,182 kilowatt-hours per person | 15,017 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 2020s | 17,301 kilowatt-hours per person | 24,763 kilowatt-hours per person | 7,462 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher coal production per person, China or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 23,973 kilowatt-hours per person against 18,569 kilowatt-hours per person in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in coal production per person between China and South Africa?
- 5,404 kilowatt-hours per person, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for coal production per person?
- China ranks 5th and South Africa ranks 4th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Coal production per person. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.