South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: Fossil fuel consumption
South Africa
1,332 terawatt-hours
in 2025
United Arab Emirates
1,321 terawatt-hours
in 2025
South Africa rank
18th
United Arab Emirates rank
19th
Fossil fuel consumption over time
- South Africa
- United Arab Emirates
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1,332 terawatt-hours against 1,321 terawatt-hours in United Arab Emirates, a difference of 11 terawatt-hours.
Across all 61 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 18th and United Arab Emirates ranks 19th of 220 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United Arab Emirates | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 375.28 terawatt-hours | 4.22 terawatt-hours | 371.06 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 1970s | 524.93 terawatt-hours | 31.12 terawatt-hours | 493.81 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 1980s | 857.91 terawatt-hours | 202.43 terawatt-hours | 655.48 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 1990s | 1,059 terawatt-hours | 463.91 terawatt-hours | 595 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1,264 terawatt-hours | 710.35 terawatt-hours | 553.44 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1,375 terawatt-hours | 1,137 terawatt-hours | 237.28 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1,296 terawatt-hours | 1,238 terawatt-hours | 57.86 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fossil fuel consumption, South Africa or United Arab Emirates?
- South Africa, at 1,332 terawatt-hours against 1,321 terawatt-hours in United Arab Emirates as of 2025.
- What is the difference in fossil fuel consumption between South Africa and United Arab Emirates?
- 11 terawatt-hours, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Arab Emirates?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and United Arab Emirates rank globally for fossil fuel consumption?
- South Africa ranks 18th and United Arab Emirates ranks 19th of 220 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 Fossil fuel consumption. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and gas.