Nigeria vs South Africa: Energy intensity
Energy intensity over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 6.57 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices against 6.57 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices in South Africa, a difference of 0 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 22 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Nigeria ahead.
Nigeria ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 37th of 201 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Nigeria averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.58 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices | 8.52 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices | 0.057 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices | Nigeria |
| 2010s | 6.56 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices | 7.23 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices | 0.672 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices | South Africa |
| 2020s | 6.61 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices | 6.74 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices | 0.13 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher energy intensity, Nigeria or South Africa?
- Nigeria, at 6.57 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices against 6.57 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices in South Africa as of 2021.
- What is the difference in energy intensity between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 0 megajoules per international-$ in 2021 prices, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2021.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for energy intensity?
- Nigeria ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 37th of 201 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), UN Statistics Division, World Health Organization (WHO), and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Energy intensity. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Amount of energy needed to produce one unit of economic output. A lower number means that economies produce economic value in a less energy-intensive way. This data is measured in megajoules per dollar, adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.