Mexico vs South Africa: Installed solar energy capacity
Mexico
12.93 gigawatts
in 2025
South Africa
11.26 gigawatts
in 2025
Mexico rank
18th
South Africa rank
21st
Installed solar energy capacity over time
- Mexico
- South Africa
How they compare
Mexico currently reports 12.93 gigawatts against 11.26 gigawatts in South Africa, a difference of 1.67 gigawatts.
That makes Mexico's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 16 shared years of data; in 2010 it was Mexico ahead.
Mexico ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 21st of 218 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Mexico averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Mexico | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.14 gigawatts | 1.22 gigawatts | 0.0798 gigawatts | South Africa |
| 2020s | 10.21 gigawatts | 6.99 gigawatts | 3.22 gigawatts | Mexico |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher installed solar energy capacity, Mexico or South Africa?
- Mexico, at 12.93 gigawatts against 11.26 gigawatts in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in installed solar energy capacity between Mexico and South Africa?
- 1.67 gigawatts, with Mexico ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Mexico and South Africa?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 2010 to 2025.
- How do Mexico and South Africa rank globally for installed solar energy capacity?
- Mexico ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 21st of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- IRENA (2026) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Installed solar energy capacity. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total solar (on- and off-grid) electricity installed capacity, measured in gigawatts. This includes solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power.