South Africa vs USSR: Fossil fuel consumption per capita by source
South Africa
15,640 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
USSR
14,290 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1984
South Africa rank
4th
USSR rank
8th
Fossil fuel consumption per capita by source over time
- South Africa
- USSR
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 15,640 kilowatt-hours per person against 14,290 kilowatt-hours per person in USSR, a difference of 1,350 kilowatt-hours per person.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times USSR's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 20 shared years of data; in 1965 it was USSR ahead.
South Africa ranks 4th and USSR ranks 8th of 79 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and USSR in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14,508 kilowatt-hours per person | 15,301 kilowatt-hours per person | 793.34 kilowatt-hours per person | USSR |
| 1970s | 15,393 kilowatt-hours per person | 15,414 kilowatt-hours per person | 21.17 kilowatt-hours per person | USSR |
| 1980s | 19,481 kilowatt-hours per person | 14,577 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,904 kilowatt-hours per person | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fossil fuel consumption per capita by source, South Africa or USSR?
- South Africa, at 15,640 kilowatt-hours per person against 14,290 kilowatt-hours per person in USSR as of 2025.
- What is the difference in fossil fuel consumption per capita by source between South Africa and USSR?
- 1,350 kilowatt-hours per person, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and USSR?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1984.
- How do South Africa and USSR rank globally for fossil fuel consumption per capita by source?
- South Africa ranks 4th and USSR ranks 8th 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.