South Africa vs United States of America: Electricity as a share of primary energy
South Africa
17.4%
in 2025
United States of America
17.3%
in 2025
South Africa rank
40th
United States of America rank
41st
Electricity as a share of primary energy over time
- South Africa
- United States of America
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 17.4% against 17.3% in United States of America, a difference of 0.1%.
Across all 41 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 40th and United States of America ranks 41st of 79 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.9% | 13.6% | 2.3% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 17.1% | 14.9% | 2.2% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 18.4% | 15.1% | 3.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 18.0% | 16.1% | 1.9% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 17.9% | 16.9% | 1.0% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher electricity as a share of primary energy, South Africa or United States of America?
- South Africa, at 17.4% against 17.3% in United States of America as of 2025.
- What is the difference in electricity as a share of primary energy between South Africa and United States of America?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States of America?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and United States of America rank globally for electricity as a share of primary energy?
- South Africa ranks 40th and United States of America ranks 41st of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Electricity as a share of primary energy. 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.