Access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use in South Africa
South Africa: Access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use was 90.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use in South Africa is 90.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use in South Africa peaked at 90.0% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 57.0%, in 2000.
That places South Africa 106th out of 194 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 57.0% | — |
| 2001 | 59.0% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 61.0% | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 63.0% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 65.0% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 68.0% | +4.6% |
| 2006 | 70.0% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 72.0% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 74.0% | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 76.0% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 77.0% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 79.0% | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 80.0% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 82.0% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 83.0% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 84.0% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 85.0% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 86.0% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 87.0% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 87.0% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 88.0% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 89.0% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 89.0% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 90.0% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 90.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 66.5% | 57.0% | 76.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.0% | 77.0% | 87.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 89.2% | 88.0% | 90.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More energy & mining data for South Africa
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -0.3095 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 17.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use in South Africa?
- Access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use in South Africa was 90.0% in 2024, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 90.0% in 2023.
- What is the lowest access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.0% in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use?
- South Africa ranks 106th out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Access to clean fuels for cooking vs. per capita energy use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Access to clean fuels or technologies reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants, a leading cause of death in low-income households. Energy is measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per person.