South Africa vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Number of people with and without electricity access
Number of people with and without electricity access over time
- South Africa
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 69.28 million people against 57.73 million people in South Africa, a difference of 11.55 million people.
That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
Across all 29 years both countries report, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 23rd and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 20th of 214 countries.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.26 million people | 58.41 million people | 28.15 million people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2000s | 38.84 million people | 60.37 million people | 21.52 million people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2010s | 47.32 million people | 64.81 million people | 17.49 million people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2020s | 55.31 million people | 67.83 million people | 12.52 million people | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of people with and without electricity access, South Africa or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 69.28 million people against 57.73 million people in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in number of people with and without electricity access between South Africa and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 11.55 million people, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for number of people with and without electricity access?
- South Africa ranks 23rd and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 20th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
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.