Coal production per person in South Africa
South Africa: Coal production per person was 23,973 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
23,973 kilowatt-hours per person
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
4th
of 215 countries
All-time high
33,108 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1985
All-time low
1,294 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1900
Years of data
126
1900–2025
Coal production per person in South Africa, 1900–2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.
Analysis
In 2025, coal production per person in South Africa stood at 23,973 kilowatt-hours per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, coal production per person in South Africa peaked at 33,108 kilowatt-hours per person in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1,294 kilowatt-hours per person, in 1900.
That places South Africa 4th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 4,594 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,294 kilowatt-hours per person | 7,168 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 8,589 kilowatt-hours per person | 7,568 kilowatt-hours per person | 9,815 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 10,065 kilowatt-hours per person | 8,390 kilowatt-hours per person | 10,783 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 9,247 kilowatt-hours per person | 7,304 kilowatt-hours per person | 10,814 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 12,634 kilowatt-hours per person | 10,982 kilowatt-hours per person | 13,464 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 14,564 kilowatt-hours per person | 13,489 kilowatt-hours per person | 16,004 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 16,264 kilowatt-hours per person | 15,652 kilowatt-hours per person | 17,112 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 19,104 kilowatt-hours per person | 16,523 kilowatt-hours per person | 24,529 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 30,450 kilowatt-hours per person | 25,070 kilowatt-hours per person | 33,108 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 29,941 kilowatt-hours per person | 28,502 kilowatt-hours per person | 31,756 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 31,006 kilowatt-hours per person | 28,202 kilowatt-hours per person | 32,520 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 30,182 kilowatt-hours per person | 28,510 kilowatt-hours per person | 32,355 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 24,763 kilowatt-hours per person | 23,973 kilowatt-hours per person | 26,652 kilowatt-hours per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 1 Cook Islands 0 kilowatt-hours per person
- 1 Mongolia 158,792 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 1 Montserrat 0 kilowatt-hours per person
- 1 Niue 0 kilowatt-hours per person
- 1 Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 0 kilowatt-hours per person
- 2 Australia 112,126 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 3 Kazakhstan 27,273 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 5 China (People’s Republic of) 18,569 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 6 Russia 17,674 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 7 Bosnia and Herzegovina 17,392 kilowatt-hours per person compare
More energy & mining data for South Africa
- Fuel imports 17.7% (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 2.5% (2025)
- Ores and metals exports 30.3% (2025)
- Gas production 0.6284 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 9.82 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 0.6284 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 9.82 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gas production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is coal production per person in South Africa?
- Coal production per person in South Africa was 23,973 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest coal production per person recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 33,108 kilowatt-hours per person in 1985.
- What is the lowest coal production per person recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,294 kilowatt-hours per person in 1900.
- How does South Africa rank for coal production per person?
- South Africa ranks 4th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is coal production per person rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Coal production per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.