Coal production in South Africa
South Africa: Coal production was 1,552 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Coal production in South Africa, 1900–2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2025, coal production in South Africa stood at 1,552 terawatt-hours.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, coal production in South Africa peaked at 1,722 terawatt-hours in 2014 and was at its lowest, 6.68 terawatt-hours, in 1900.
South Africa ranks 7th of 219 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 26.03 terawatt-hours | 6.68 terawatt-hours | 42.96 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1910s | 56.53 terawatt-hours | 46.88 terawatt-hours | 66.96 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1920s | 79.24 terawatt-hours | 62.5 terawatt-hours | 87.75 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1930s | 89.66 terawatt-hours | 66.88 terawatt-hours | 113.85 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1940s | 148.5 terawatt-hours | 117.92 terawatt-hours | 171.86 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1950s | 210.96 terawatt-hours | 178.45 terawatt-hours | 249.98 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1960s | 307.71 terawatt-hours | 257.31 terawatt-hours | 355.59 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1970s | 489.69 terawatt-hours | 368.13 terawatt-hours | 702.36 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,055 terawatt-hours | 740.02 terawatt-hours | 1,212 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,321 terawatt-hours | 1,165 terawatt-hours | 1,469 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,530 terawatt-hours | 1,354 terawatt-hours | 1,661 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,685 terawatt-hours | 1,652 terawatt-hours | 1,722 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,552 terawatt-hours | 1,515 terawatt-hours | 1,614 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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)
- Fuel exports 8.2% (2025)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 10.2% (2023)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs gdp per capita 56.31 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is coal production in South Africa?
- Coal production in South Africa was 1,552 terawatt-hours 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 coal production recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1,722 terawatt-hours in 2014.
- What is the lowest coal production recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.68 terawatt-hours in 1900.
- How does South Africa rank for coal production?
- South Africa ranks 7th out of 219 groups with data for 2025.
- Is coal production rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Coal production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.