Germany vs South Africa: Electricity generation from fossil fuels

Germany
204.73 terawatt-hours
in 2025
South Africa
199.45 terawatt-hours
in 2025
Germany rank
13th
South Africa rank
15th

Electricity generation from fossil fuels over time

  • Germany
  • South Africa
100200300400198520052025

How they compare

Germany currently reports 204.73 terawatt-hours against 199.45 terawatt-hours in South Africa, a difference of 5.28 terawatt-hours.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 41 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Germany ahead.

Germany ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 15th of 214 countries.

Germany has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 356.38 terawatt-hours 141.17 terawatt-hours 215.21 terawatt-hours Germany
1990s 357.12 terawatt-hours 172.87 terawatt-hours 184.25 terawatt-hours Germany
2000s 380.77 terawatt-hours 224.9 terawatt-hours 155.87 terawatt-hours Germany
2010s 356.46 terawatt-hours 235.93 terawatt-hours 120.53 terawatt-hours Germany
2020s 240.16 terawatt-hours 206.56 terawatt-hours 33.6 terawatt-hours Germany

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher electricity generation from fossil fuels, Germany or South Africa?
Germany, at 204.73 terawatt-hours against 199.45 terawatt-hours in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in electricity generation from fossil fuels between Germany and South Africa?
5.28 terawatt-hours, with Germany ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and South Africa?
41 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2025.
How do Germany and South Africa rank globally for electricity generation from fossil fuels?
Germany ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 15th of 214 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Electricity generation from fossil fuels. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Germany vs South Africa: Electricity generation from fossil fuels. Statizoid, drawing on Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://energy.statizoid.com/compare/electricity-fossil-fuels/germany/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Electricity generation from fossil fuels
Unit
terawatt-hours
Source
Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
216 places, 6,239 data points, 1920–2025
Last refreshed

Electricity generation from coal, oil, and gas, measured in terawatt-hours.