South Africa vs United Kingdom: Renewable energy generation
South Africa
18.56 terawatt-hours
in 2025
United Kingdom
20 terawatt-hours
in 2025
South Africa rank
20th
United Kingdom rank
19th
Renewable energy generation over time
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 20 terawatt-hours against 18.56 terawatt-hours in South Africa, a difference of 1.44 terawatt-hours.
That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 55 shared years of data; in 1971 it was United Kingdom ahead.
South Africa ranks 20th and United Kingdom ranks 19th of 79 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1980s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0.0004 terawatt-hours | 0.0004 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0.0001 terawatt-hours | 0.0001 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 0.0163 terawatt-hours | 0.0083 terawatt-hours | 0.008 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2010s | 2.1 terawatt-hours | 6.22 terawatt-hours | 4.12 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 11.98 terawatt-hours | 14.65 terawatt-hours | 2.68 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher renewable energy generation, South Africa or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 20 terawatt-hours against 18.56 terawatt-hours in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in renewable energy generation between South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 1.44 terawatt-hours, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and United Kingdom rank globally for renewable energy generation?
- South Africa ranks 20th and United Kingdom ranks 19th of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Renewable energy generation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Figures are based on gross generation and do not account for cross-border electricity supply.