Energy intensity by sector in South Africa
South Africa: Energy intensity by sector was 4.41 in 2012. ▼ Falling
Latest (2012)
4.41
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
52nd
of 189 countries
All-time high
5.61
in 1990
All-time low
4.41
in 2012
Years of data
23
1990–2012
Energy intensity by sector in South Africa, 1990–2012
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2012, energy intensity by sector in South Africa stood at 4.41. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy intensity by sector in South Africa peaked at 5.61 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 4.41, in 2012.
South Africa ranks 52nd of 189 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.43 | 5.2 | 5.61 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.9 | 4.66 | 5.09 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.47 | 4.41 | 4.58 | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 49 China (People’s Republic of) 4.51 compare
- 50 Bolivia 4.5 compare
- 51 Solomon Islands 4.45 compare
- 53 Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of 4.23 compare
- 54 Vanuatu 4.16 compare
- 55 Serbia 4.11 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 energy intensity by sector in South Africa?
- Energy intensity by sector in South Africa was 4.41 in 2012, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy intensity by sector recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.61 in 1990.
- What is the lowest energy intensity by sector recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.41 in 2012.
- How does South Africa rank for energy intensity by sector?
- South Africa ranks 52nd out of 189 countries with data for 2012.
- Is energy intensity by sector rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.8%. 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 Energy intensity by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).