Energy use per person vs. GDP per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Energy use per person vs. GDP per capita was 21,592 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
21,592 kilowatt-hours per person
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
84th
of 218 countries
All-time high
28,716 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2008
All-time low
18,098 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1966
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Energy use per person vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, 1965–2025
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
South Africa recorded 21,592 kilowatt-hours per person for energy use per person vs. gdp per capita in 2025.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy use per person vs. gdp per capita in South Africa peaked at 28,716 kilowatt-hours per person in 2008 and was at its lowest, 18,098 kilowatt-hours per person, in 1966.
That places South Africa 84th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 61 years of available data.
Energy use per person vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 18,552 kilowatt-hours per person | — |
| 1966 | 18,098 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.4% |
| 1967 | 18,268 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 18,688 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 18,657 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 18,915 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.4% |
| 1971 | 19,780 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.6% |
| 1972 | 19,797 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 20,691 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.5% |
| 1974 | 20,684 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 21,456 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.7% |
| 1976 | 21,744 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 21,681 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 20,893 kilowatt-hours per person | -3.6% |
| 1979 | 21,054 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 21,814 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.6% |
| 1981 | 24,514 kilowatt-hours per person | +12.4% |
| 1982 | 25,517 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.1% |
| 1983 | 24,994 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.0% |
| 1984 | 26,412 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.7% |
| 1985 | 26,093 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 25,711 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.5% |
| 1987 | 25,303 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 26,978 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.6% |
| 1989 | 25,044 kilowatt-hours per person | -7.2% |
| 1990 | 25,262 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 24,471 kilowatt-hours per person | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 24,205 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 23,705 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.1% |
| 1994 | 24,295 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 25,115 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 25,252 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 25,486 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 24,760 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 25,353 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 25,141 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 25,025 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 24,152 kilowatt-hours per person | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 24,807 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 26,133 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.3% |
| 2005 | 26,785 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 27,919 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 28,457 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 28,716 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 26,850 kilowatt-hours per person | -6.5% |
| 2010 | 27,430 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 26,254 kilowatt-hours per person | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 26,911 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 26,463 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 25,337 kilowatt-hours per person | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 24,872 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 24,942 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 23,707 kilowatt-hours per person | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 24,080 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 24,898 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 21,992 kilowatt-hours per person | -11.7% |
| 2021 | 21,843 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 20,717 kilowatt-hours per person | -5.2% |
| 2023 | 21,318 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 21,910 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 21,592 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18,453 kilowatt-hours per person | 18,098 kilowatt-hours per person | 18,688 kilowatt-hours per person | 5 |
| 1970s | 20,669 kilowatt-hours per person | 18,915 kilowatt-hours per person | 21,744 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 25,238 kilowatt-hours per person | 21,814 kilowatt-hours per person | 26,978 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 24,790 kilowatt-hours per person | 23,705 kilowatt-hours per person | 25,486 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 26,399 kilowatt-hours per person | 24,152 kilowatt-hours per person | 28,716 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 25,489 kilowatt-hours per person | 23,707 kilowatt-hours per person | 27,430 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 21,562 kilowatt-hours per person | 20,717 kilowatt-hours per person | 21,992 kilowatt-hours per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 81 Bhutan 22,483 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 82 Lithuania 22,196 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 83 Mongolia 22,107 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 85 Chile 21,237 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 86 Portugal 20,942 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 87 French Polynesia 20,313 kilowatt-hours per person 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 use per person vs. gdp per capita in South Africa?
- Energy use per person vs. gdp per capita in South Africa was 21,592 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 energy use per person vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 28,716 kilowatt-hours per person in 2008.
- What is the lowest energy use per person vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 18,098 kilowatt-hours per person in 1966.
- How does South Africa rank for energy use per person vs. gdp per capita?
- South Africa ranks 84th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is energy use per person vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Energy use per person vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per person.