GDP per capita vs. energy use in South Africa
South Africa: GDP per capita vs. energy use was 22,545 kg of oil equivalent per capita in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
22,545 kg of oil equivalent per capita
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
60th
of 174 countries
All-time high
31,844 kg of oil equivalent per capita
in 2008
All-time low
22,542 kg of oil equivalent per capita
in 2022
Years of data
34
1990–2023
GDP per capita vs. energy use in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in kg of oil equivalent per capita.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gdp per capita vs. energy use in South Africa is 22,545 kg of oil equivalent per capita, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp per capita vs. energy use in South Africa peaked at 31,844 kg of oil equivalent per capita in 2008 and was at its lowest, 22,542 kg of oil equivalent per capita, in 2022.
South Africa ranks 60th of 174 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
GDP per capita vs. energy use in South Africa, year by year
| Year | kg of oil equivalent per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 26,035 kg of oil equivalent per capita | — |
| 1991 | 26,136 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 24,476 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -6.3% |
| 1993 | 25,556 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 26,237 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 27,423 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +4.5% |
| 1996 | 27,855 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 28,126 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 28,316 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 27,513 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 26,393 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 25,356 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 24,098 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 26,759 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +11.0% |
| 2004 | 28,819 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +7.7% |
| 2005 | 27,615 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 27,889 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 29,968 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +7.5% |
| 2008 | 31,844 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +6.3% |
| 2009 | 31,808 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 29,290 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -7.9% |
| 2011 | 29,498 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 27,847 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -5.6% |
| 2013 | 27,228 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 28,362 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +4.2% |
| 2015 | 26,251 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -7.4% |
| 2016 | 26,886 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 26,557 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 25,410 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 25,957 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 23,696 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -8.7% |
| 2021 | 24,709 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +4.3% |
| 2022 | 22,542 kg of oil equivalent per capita | -8.8% |
| 2023 | 22,545 kg of oil equivalent per capita | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26,767 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 24,476 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 28,316 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 28,055 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 24,098 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 31,844 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 27,329 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 25,410 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 29,498 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 23,373 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 22,542 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 24,709 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 57 Gabon 23,747 kg of oil equivalent per capita compare
- 58 Chile 23,598 kg of oil equivalent per capita compare
- 59 Bahamas 23,337 kg of oil equivalent per capita compare
- 61 Turkey 22,387 kg of oil equivalent per capita compare
- 62 Greece 22,345 kg of oil equivalent per capita compare
- 63 Thailand 21,530 kg of oil equivalent per capita 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 gdp per capita vs. energy use in South Africa?
- Gdp per capita vs. energy use in South Africa was 22,545 kg of oil equivalent per capita in 2023, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gdp per capita vs. energy use recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 31,844 kg of oil equivalent per capita in 2008.
- What is the lowest gdp per capita vs. energy use recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 22,542 kg of oil equivalent per capita in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for gdp per capita vs. energy use?
- South Africa ranks 60th out of 174 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gdp per capita vs. energy use rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of GDP per capita vs. energy use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual energy use per capita, measured in kilowatt-hours per person vs. gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, which is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.