Energy intensity level of primary energy in South Africa
South Africa: Energy intensity level of primary energy was 5.93 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
5.93
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
28th
of 221 countries
All-time high
9.57
in 1995
All-time low
5.89
in 2022
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Energy intensity level of primary energy in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2023, energy intensity level of primary energy in South Africa stood at 5.93.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy intensity level of primary energy in South Africa peaked at 9.57 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 5.89, in 2022.
South Africa ranks 28th of 221 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Energy intensity level of primary energy in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8.67 | — |
| 1991 | 9 | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 8.76 | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 9.22 | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 9.32 | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 9.57 | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 9.44 | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 9.4 | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 9.53 | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 9.14 | -4.1% |
| 2000 | 8.5 | -7.0% |
| 2001 | 8.02 | -5.6% |
| 2002 | 7.42 | -7.5% |
| 2003 | 8.08 | +8.9% |
| 2004 | 8.41 | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 7.73 | -8.1% |
| 2006 | 7.47 | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 7.7 | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 8.02 | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 8.23 | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 7.44 | -9.6% |
| 2011 | 7.36 | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 6.88 | -6.5% |
| 2013 | 6.68 | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 6.97 | +4.3% |
| 2015 | 6.5 | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 6.67 | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 6.56 | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 6.29 | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 6.51 | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 6.44 | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 6.5 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 5.89 | -9.4% |
| 2023 | 5.93 | +0.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 5.93 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.16, 1.9× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 5.93 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.01, 1.5× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.21 | 8.67 | 9.57 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.96 | 7.42 | 8.5 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.79 | 6.29 | 7.44 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.19 | 5.89 | 6.5 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 25 Togo 6.55 compare
- 26 Solomon Islands 6.29 compare
- 27 New Caledonia 6.24 compare
- 29 Sudan 5.9 compare
- 30 Qatar 5.87 compare
- 31 Uzbekistan 5.83 compare
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 energy intensity level of primary energy in South Africa?
- Energy intensity level of primary energy in South Africa was 5.93 in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest energy intensity level of primary energy recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 9.57 in 1995.
- What is the lowest energy intensity level of primary energy recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.89 in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for energy intensity level of primary energy?
- South Africa ranks 28th out of 221 countries with data for 2023.
- Is energy intensity level of primary energy rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Energy intensity level of primary energy (megajoules per constant 2021 purchasing power parity GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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