South Africa vs USSR: Share of primary energy from fossil fuels
South Africa
95.3%
in 2025
USSR
95.6%
in 1984
South Africa rank
19th
USSR rank
18th
Share of primary energy from fossil fuels over time
- South Africa
- USSR
How they compare
USSR currently reports 95.6% against 95.3% in South Africa, a difference of 0.3%.
Across all 20 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 19th and USSR ranks 18th of 76 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 100.0% | 98.6% | 1.4% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 99.8% | 98.0% | 1.8% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 99.6% | 96.4% | 3.2% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of primary energy from fossil fuels, South Africa or USSR?
- USSR, at 95.6% against 95.3% in South Africa as of 1984.
- What is the difference in share of primary energy from fossil fuels between South Africa and USSR?
- 0.3%, with USSR 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 share of primary energy from fossil fuels?
- South Africa ranks 19th and USSR ranks 18th of 76 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of primary energy from fossil fuels. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total energy supply.