Fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre was 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre
Change on year
up 4.6%
World rank
92nd
of 205 countries
All-time high
0.0012 terawatt-hours per square kilometre
in 2019
All-time low
0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre
in 1965
Years of data
59
1965–2023
Fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1965–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in terawatt-hours per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre for fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre in 2023.
That represents a change of up 4.6% on the previous year and down 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 0.0012 terawatt-hours per square kilometre in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre, in 1965.
That places South Africa 92nd out of 205 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 59 years of available data.
Fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | — |
| 1966 | 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1968 | 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1969 | 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1971 | 0.0004 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 1972 | 0.0004 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1973 | 0.0004 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +7.5% |
| 1974 | 0.0004 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1975 | 0.0005 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1976 | 0.0005 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1977 | 0.0005 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 0.0005 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1979 | 0.0005 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1980 | 0.0005 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +6.8% |
| 1981 | 0.0006 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +16.2% |
| 1982 | 0.0007 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +7.9% |
| 1983 | 0.0007 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 0.0007 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +8.0% |
| 1985 | 0.0007 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 0.0007 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 0.0008 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 0.0008 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +8.5% |
| 1989 | 0.0008 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -4.7% |
| 1990 | 0.0008 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1991 | 0.0008 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 0.0008 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 0.0008 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 0.001 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 0.001 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 0.001 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 2005 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 0.0012 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 0.0012 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 0.0012 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 0.0012 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 0.0012 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2020 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -10.3% |
| 2021 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 0.001 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | +4.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 5 |
| 1970s | 0.0004 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0005 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0007 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0005 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0008 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0008 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.001 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0012 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0012 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.001 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 89 Jordan 0.0012 terawatt-hours per square kilometre compare
- 90 Estonia 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre compare
- 91 Romania 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre compare
- 93 North Macedonia 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre compare
- 94 Mexico 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre compare
- 95 Egypt 0.001 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 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)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 17.7% (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 2.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre in South Africa was 0.0011 terawatt-hours per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0012 terawatt-hours per square kilometre in 2019.
- What is the lowest fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre in 1965.
- How does South Africa rank for fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 92nd out of 205 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Fossil fuel consumption, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 59 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Fossil fuel consumption divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Fossil fuel consumption ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Fossil fuel consumption Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Fossil fuel consumption divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.