GDP per unit of energy use in South Africa
South Africa: GDP per unit of energy use was 7.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
7.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
153rd
of 171 countries
All-time high
7.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent
in 2023
All-time low
2.84 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent
in 1991
Years of data
34
1990–2023
GDP per unit of energy use in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA). Measured in PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent.
Analysis
In 2023, gdp per unit of energy use in South Africa stood at 7.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 37.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp per unit of energy use in South Africa peaked at 7.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.84 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent, in 1991.
South Africa ranks 153rd of 171 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
GDP per unit of energy use in South Africa, year by year
| Year | PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | — |
| 1991 | 2.84 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 2.98 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +5.0% |
| 1993 | 2.9 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 2.93 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 2.92 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 3.01 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 3.07 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 3.07 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 3.24 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +5.7% |
| 2000 | 3.57 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +10.1% |
| 2001 | 3.87 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +8.4% |
| 2002 | 4.24 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +9.8% |
| 2003 | 3.97 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -6.4% |
| 2004 | 3.92 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 4.4 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +12.2% |
| 2006 | 4.69 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 4.68 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 4.57 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 4.48 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 5.02 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +11.9% |
| 2011 | 5.18 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 5.42 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +4.7% |
| 2013 | 5.71 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +5.3% |
| 2014 | 5.48 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 5.94 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +8.4% |
| 2016 | 5.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 6.02 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 6.11 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 5.99 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 6.22 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 6.44 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 7.61 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +18.1% |
| 2023 | 7.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | +3.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 7.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.77 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent, 53% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 7.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.8 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent, 67% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.98 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 2.84 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 3.24 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.24 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 3.57 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 4.69 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.67 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 5.02 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 6.11 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.03 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 6.22 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 7.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 150 Ethiopia 8.02 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent compare
- 151 Tonga 7.94 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent compare
- 152 Qatar 7.89 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent compare
- 154 Togo 7.36 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent compare
- 155 Oman 7.11 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent compare
- 156 Eritrea 6.73 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent 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 unit of energy use in South Africa?
- Gdp per unit of energy use in South Africa was 7.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent in 2023, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA).
- What is the highest gdp per unit of energy use recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 7.85 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent in 2023.
- What is the lowest gdp per unit of energy use recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.84 PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent in 1991.
- How does South Africa rank for gdp per unit of energy use?
- South Africa ranks 153rd out of 171 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gdp per unit of energy use rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA), published as part of GDP per unit of energy use (PPP $ per kg of oil equivalent). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
GDP per unit of energy use is the PPP GDP per kilogram of oil equivalent of energy use. PPP GDP is gross domestic product converted to current international dollars using purchasing power parity rates based on the 2017 ICP round. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP as a U.S. dollar has in the United States.