South Africa vs United Kingdom: Fossil fuel consumption
South Africa
1,332 terawatt-hours
in 2025
United Kingdom
1,379 terawatt-hours
in 2025
South Africa rank
18th
United Kingdom rank
17th
Fossil fuel consumption over time
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 1,379 terawatt-hours against 1,332 terawatt-hours in South Africa, a difference of 47 terawatt-hours.
Across all 61 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 18th and United Kingdom ranks 17th of 220 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 375.28 terawatt-hours | 2,299 terawatt-hours | 1,924 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 524.93 terawatt-hours | 2,417 terawatt-hours | 1,892 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 857.91 terawatt-hours | 2,220 terawatt-hours | 1,362 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 1,059 terawatt-hours | 2,322 terawatt-hours | 1,263 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 1,264 terawatt-hours | 2,369 terawatt-hours | 1,105 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 1,375 terawatt-hours | 1,916 terawatt-hours | 541.51 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 1,296 terawatt-hours | 1,445 terawatt-hours | 149.34 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fossil fuel consumption, South Africa or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 1,379 terawatt-hours against 1,332 terawatt-hours in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in fossil fuel consumption between South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 47 terawatt-hours, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and United Kingdom rank globally for fossil fuel consumption?
- South Africa ranks 18th and United Kingdom ranks 17th of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – 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.