Korea vs South Africa: Number of people with and without electricity access

Korea
51.75 million people
in 2024
South Africa
57.73 million people
in 2024
Korea rank
25th
South Africa rank
23rd

Number of people with and without electricity access over time

  • Korea
  • South Africa
020.0M40.0M60.0M199020072024

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 57.73 million people against 51.75 million people in Korea, a difference of 5.98 million people.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Korea's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 29 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Korea ahead.

Korea ranks 25th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 214 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Korea averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Korea South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 46.10 million people 30.26 million people 15.83 million people Korea
2000s 48.17 million people 38.84 million people 9.32 million people Korea
2010s 50.78 million people 47.32 million people 3.46 million people Korea
2020s 51.75 million people 55.31 million people 3.56 million people South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher number of people with and without electricity access, Korea or South Africa?
South Africa, at 57.73 million people against 51.75 million people in Korea as of 2024.
What is the difference in number of people with and without electricity access between Korea and South Africa?
5.98 million people, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Korea and South Africa?
29 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2024.
How do Korea and South Africa rank globally for number of people with and without electricity access?
Korea ranks 25th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 214 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Number of people with and without electricity access. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Korea vs South Africa: Number of people with and without electricity access. Statizoid, drawing on Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://energy.statizoid.com/compare/number-of-people-with-and-without-electricity-access/korea-rep/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of people with and without electricity access
Unit
people
Source
Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
214 places, 6,702 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

Access to electricity means having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.