Republic of Korea vs South Africa: Fossil fuel consumption per capita by source
Republic of Korea
15,352 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
South Africa
15,640 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
Republic of Korea rank
6th
South Africa rank
4th
Fossil fuel consumption per capita by source over time
- Republic of Korea
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 15,640 kilowatt-hours per person against 15,352 kilowatt-hours per person in Republic of Korea, a difference of 288 kilowatt-hours per person.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 61 shared years of data; in 1965 it was South Africa ahead.
Republic of Korea ranks 6th and South Africa ranks 4th of 79 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Republic of Korea averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Republic of Korea | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,000 kilowatt-hours per person | 14,508 kilowatt-hours per person | 12,507 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1970s | 2,628 kilowatt-hours per person | 15,393 kilowatt-hours per person | 12,766 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1980s | 5,624 kilowatt-hours per person | 19,862 kilowatt-hours per person | 14,237 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 1990s | 7,922 kilowatt-hours per person | 18,480 kilowatt-hours per person | 10,558 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 2000s | 13,686 kilowatt-hours per person | 19,216 kilowatt-hours per person | 5,529 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
| 2010s | 19,545 kilowatt-hours per person | 18,124 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,420 kilowatt-hours per person | Republic of Korea |
| 2020s | 16,406 kilowatt-hours per person | 15,501 kilowatt-hours per person | 905.3 kilowatt-hours per person | Republic of Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fossil fuel consumption per capita by source, Republic of Korea or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 15,640 kilowatt-hours per person against 15,352 kilowatt-hours per person in Republic of Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in fossil fuel consumption per capita by source between Republic of Korea and South Africa?
- 288 kilowatt-hours per person, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Republic of Korea and South Africa?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do Republic of Korea and South Africa rank globally for fossil fuel consumption per capita by source?
- Republic of Korea ranks 6th 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.