Number of people with and without electricity access, per square in South Africa
South Africa: Number of people with and without electricity access, per square was 45.7 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of people with and without electricity access, per square in South Africa, 1996–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people with and without electricity access, per square in South Africa is 45.7 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people with and without electricity access, per square in South Africa peaked at 45.7 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 21.43 units per square kilometre, in 1996.
That places South Africa 143rd out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Number of people with and without electricity access, per square in South Africa, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 21.43 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1997 | 26.16 units per square kilometre | +22.1% |
| 1998 | 24.73 units per square kilometre | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 27.48 units per square kilometre | +11.1% |
| 2000 | 28.15 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 27.53 units per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 30.36 units per square kilometre | +10.3% |
| 2003 | 31.5 units per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 32.55 units per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 32.96 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 33.26 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 34.16 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 34.51 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 35.22 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 35.73 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 36.52 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 37.77 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 38.4 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 39.37 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 39.89 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 39.6 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 40.1 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 40.92 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 41.75 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 44.93 units per square kilometre | +7.6% |
| 2021 | 45.27 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 44.48 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 45.7 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.95 units per square kilometre | 21.43 units per square kilometre | 27.48 units per square kilometre | 4 |
| 2000s | 32.02 units per square kilometre | 27.53 units per square kilometre | 35.22 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.01 units per square kilometre | 35.73 units per square kilometre | 41.75 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.1 units per square kilometre | 44.48 units per square kilometre | 45.7 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 140 Colombia 46.54 units per square kilometre compare
- 141 Montenegro 46.36 units per square kilometre compare
- 142 Lithuania 45.87 units per square kilometre compare
- 144 Belarus 45.22 units per square kilometre compare
- 145 Equatorial Guinea 44.06 units per square kilometre compare
- 146 Lesotho 43.63 units 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 number of people with and without electricity access, per square in South Africa?
- Number of people with and without electricity access, per square in South Africa was 45.7 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people with and without electricity access, per square recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 45.7 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people with and without electricity access, per square recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.43 units per square kilometre in 1996.
- How does South Africa rank for number of people with and without electricity access, per square?
- South Africa ranks 143rd out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people with and without electricity access, per square rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.0%. 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 Number of people with and without electricity access, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people with and without electricity access 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.
Number of people with and without electricity access ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people with and without electricity access Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – 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
Number of people with and without electricity access 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.