Chile vs South Africa: Solar energy generation vs. capacity
Chile
20,862 terawatt-hours
in 2025
South Africa
18,560 terawatt-hours
in 2025
Chile rank
18th
South Africa rank
20th
Solar energy generation vs. capacity over time
- Chile
- South Africa
How they compare
Chile currently reports 20,862 terawatt-hours against 18,560 terawatt-hours in South Africa, a difference of 2,302 terawatt-hours.
That makes Chile's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.
Chile ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 20th of 79 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Chile averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Chile | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | — |
| 2000s | 0 terawatt-hours | 16.26 terawatt-hours | 16.26 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1,969 terawatt-hours | 2,097 terawatt-hours | 127.83 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2020s | 15,384 terawatt-hours | 11,977 terawatt-hours | 3,408 terawatt-hours | Chile |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher solar energy generation vs. capacity, Chile or South Africa?
- Chile, at 20,862 terawatt-hours against 18,560 terawatt-hours in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in solar energy generation vs. capacity between Chile and South Africa?
- 2,302 terawatt-hours, with Chile ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Chile and South Africa?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Chile and South Africa rank globally for solar energy generation vs. capacity?
- Chile ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 20th 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 Solar energy generation vs. capacity. 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.