China vs South Africa: Fossil fuel consumption per capita by source
China
18,093 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
South Africa
15,640 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
China rank
3rd
South Africa rank
4th
Fossil fuel consumption per capita by source over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
China currently reports 18,093 kilowatt-hours per person against 15,640 kilowatt-hours per person in South Africa, a difference of 2,453 kilowatt-hours per person.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 61 shared years of data; in 1965 it was South Africa ahead.
China ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 4th of 79 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,784 kilowatt-hours per person | 14,508 kilowatt-hours per person | 12,724 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1970s | 2,898 kilowatt-hours per person | 15,393 kilowatt-hours per person | 12,495 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1980s | 4,331 kilowatt-hours per person | 19,862 kilowatt-hours per person | 15,531 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1990s | 6,083 kilowatt-hours per person | 18,480 kilowatt-hours per person | 12,397 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 2000s | 10,652 kilowatt-hours per person | 19,216 kilowatt-hours per person | 8,563 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 2010s | 15,939 kilowatt-hours per person | 18,124 kilowatt-hours per person | 2,186 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 2020s | 17,323 kilowatt-hours per person | 15,501 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,822 kilowatt-hours per person | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fossil fuel consumption per capita by source, China or South Africa?
- China, at 18,093 kilowatt-hours per person against 15,640 kilowatt-hours per person in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in fossil fuel consumption per capita by source between China and South Africa?
- 2,453 kilowatt-hours per person, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for fossil fuel consumption per capita by source?
- China ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 4th of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Fossil fuel consumption per capita by source. 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 person.