Australia vs South Africa: Fossil fuels
Australia
3,024
in 2025
South Africa
1,552
in 2025
Australia rank
6th
South Africa rank
8th
Fossil fuels over time
- Australia
- South Africa
How they compare
Australia currently reports 3,024 against 1,552 in South Africa, a difference of 1,472.
That makes Australia's figure about 1.9 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 6th and South Africa ranks 8th of 220 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 7 and South Africa in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 52.1 | 26.03 | 26.07 | Australia |
| 1910s | 73.1 | 56.53 | 16.57 | Australia |
| 1920s | 86.27 | 79.24 | 7.03 | Australia |
| 1930s | 77.08 | 89.66 | 12.58 | South Africa |
| 1940s | 107.25 | 148.5 | 41.25 | South Africa |
| 1950s | 150.83 | 210.96 | 60.13 | South Africa |
| 1960s | 244.66 | 307.71 | 63.05 | South Africa |
| 1970s | 461.47 | 489.69 | 28.22 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 986.79 | 1,055 | 67.94 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 1,598 | 1,321 | 277.28 | Australia |
| 2000s | 2,431 | 1,530 | 900.54 | Australia |
| 2010s | 3,385 | 1,685 | 1,700 | Australia |
| 2020s | 3,258 | 1,552 | 1,706 | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fossil fuels, Australia or South Africa?
- Australia, at 3,024 against 1,552 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in fossil fuels between Australia and South Africa?
- 1,472, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Africa?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do Australia and South Africa rank globally for fossil fuels?
- Australia ranks 6th and South Africa ranks 8th of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Fossil fuels. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.