Consumption energy intensity in South Africa
South Africa: Consumption energy intensity was 1.9 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
1.9
Change on year
up 8.8%
World rank
2nd
of 43 countries
All-time high
2.71
in 1995
All-time low
1.37
in 2018
Years of data
26
1995–2020
Consumption energy intensity in South Africa, 1995–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for consumption energy intensity in South Africa is 1.9, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 8.8% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, consumption energy intensity in South Africa peaked at 2.71 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 1.37, in 2018.
That places South Africa 2nd out of 43 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.39 | 2.22 | 2.71 | 5 |
| 2000s | 2.03 | 1.68 | 2.24 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7 | 1.37 | 1.99 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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)
- Fuel exports 8.2% (2025)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 10.2% (2023)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs gdp per capita 56.31 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is consumption energy intensity in South Africa?
- Consumption energy intensity in South Africa was 1.9 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest consumption energy intensity recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.71 in 1995.
- What is the lowest consumption energy intensity recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.37 in 2018.
- How does South Africa rank for consumption energy intensity?
- South Africa ranks 2nd out of 43 countries with data for 2020.
- Is consumption energy intensity rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Consumption energy intensity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).