New Zealand vs South Africa: Electricity generation from renewables
New Zealand
38.37 terawatt-hours
in 2025
South Africa
33.1 terawatt-hours
in 2025
New Zealand rank
36th
South Africa rank
39th
Electricity generation from renewables over time
- New Zealand
- South Africa
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 38.37 terawatt-hours against 33.1 terawatt-hours in South Africa, a difference of 5.27 terawatt-hours.
That makes New Zealand's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
Across all 52 years both countries report, New Zealand has been ahead every year.
New Zealand ranks 36th and South Africa ranks 39th of 214 countries.
New Zealand has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.05 terawatt-hours | 1.52 terawatt-hours | 16.52 terawatt-hours | New Zealand |
| 1980s | 22.76 terawatt-hours | 1.46 terawatt-hours | 21.3 terawatt-hours | New Zealand |
| 1990s | 27.31 terawatt-hours | 1.19 terawatt-hours | 26.13 terawatt-hours | New Zealand |
| 2000s | 28.05 terawatt-hours | 2.11 terawatt-hours | 25.94 terawatt-hours | New Zealand |
| 2010s | 34.2 terawatt-hours | 6.51 terawatt-hours | 27.69 terawatt-hours | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 37.15 terawatt-hours | 25.13 terawatt-hours | 12.03 terawatt-hours | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher electricity generation from renewables, New Zealand or South Africa?
- New Zealand, at 38.37 terawatt-hours against 33.1 terawatt-hours in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in electricity generation from renewables between New Zealand and South Africa?
- 5.27 terawatt-hours, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and South Africa?
- 52 years are reported by both, from 1974 to 2025.
- How do New Zealand and South Africa rank globally for electricity generation from renewables?
- New Zealand ranks 36th and South Africa ranks 39th 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 renewables. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.