South Africa vs USSR: Primary energy from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables
South Africa
2.3%
in 2025
USSR
3.0%
in 1984
South Africa rank
26th
USSR rank
25th
Primary energy from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables over time
- South Africa
- USSR
How they compare
USSR currently reports 3.0% against 2.3% in South Africa, a difference of 0.7%.
That makes USSR's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.
Across all 20 years both countries report, USSR has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 26th and USSR ranks 25th of 216 countries.
USSR has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | USSR |
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.7% | 0.7% | USSR |
| 1980s | 0.3% | 2.3% | 2.0% | USSR |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary energy from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables, South Africa or USSR?
- USSR, at 3.0% against 2.3% in South Africa as of 1984.
- What is the difference in primary energy from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables between South Africa and USSR?
- 0.7%, with USSR ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and USSR?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1984.
- How do South Africa and USSR rank globally for primary energy from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables?
- South Africa ranks 26th and USSR ranks 25th of 216 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Primary energy from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total energy supply.