Kazakhstan vs South Africa: Coal reserves
Kazakhstan
25.61 billion tonnes
in 2023
South Africa
9.89 billion tonnes
in 2023
Kazakhstan rank
11th
South Africa rank
14th
Coal reserves over time
- Kazakhstan
- South Africa
How they compare
Kazakhstan currently reports 25.61 billion tonnes against 9.89 billion tonnes in South Africa, a difference of 15.71 billion tonnes.
That makes Kazakhstan's figure about 2.6 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 16 shared years of data; in 2008 it was South Africa ahead.
Kazakhstan ranks 11th and South Africa ranks 14th of 212 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Kazakhstan averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kazakhstan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.85 billion tonnes | 32.45 billion tonnes | 13.60 billion tonnes | South Africa |
| 2010s | 24.08 billion tonnes | 27.48 billion tonnes | 3.40 billion tonnes | South Africa |
| 2020s | 25.61 billion tonnes | 9.89 billion tonnes | 15.71 billion tonnes | Kazakhstan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher coal reserves, Kazakhstan or South Africa?
- Kazakhstan, at 25.61 billion tonnes against 9.89 billion tonnes in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in coal reserves between Kazakhstan and South Africa?
- 15.71 billion tonnes, with Kazakhstan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kazakhstan and South Africa?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2023.
- How do Kazakhstan and South Africa rank globally for coal reserves?
- Kazakhstan ranks 11th and South Africa ranks 14th of 212 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Coal reserves. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proved reserves, measured in tonnes, are generally those quantities that can be recovered in the future from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions, according to geological and engineering information.