Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita
Saudi Arabia
1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 2022
South Africa
1.79 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 2022
Saudi Arabia rank
23rd
South Africa rank
20th
Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita over time
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1.79 kilowatt-hours per dollar against 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.08 kilowatt-hours per dollar.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 58 shared years of data; in 1965 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 20th of 164 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.26 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.26 kilowatt-hours per dollar | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 2.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3.08 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.5813 kilowatt-hours per dollar | South Africa |
| 1980s | 3.42 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3.96 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.5405 kilowatt-hours per dollar | South Africa |
| 1990s | 3.23 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3.99 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.764 kilowatt-hours per dollar | South Africa |
| 2000s | 2.45 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.85 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.3982 kilowatt-hours per dollar | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.92 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.09 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.1747 kilowatt-hours per dollar | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.76 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.88 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 0.1235 kilowatt-hours per dollar | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher energy intensity vs. gdp per capita, Saudi Arabia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1.79 kilowatt-hours per dollar against 1.71 kilowatt-hours per dollar in Saudi Arabia as of 2022.
- What is the difference in energy intensity vs. gdp per capita between Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 0.08 kilowatt-hours per dollar, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 58 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2022.
- How do Saudi Arabia and South Africa rank globally for energy intensity vs. gdp per capita?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 20th of 164 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per international-$ of GDP.