People without electricity country, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: People without electricity country, per square kilometre was 6.41 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
People without electricity country, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1996–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 6.41 units per square kilometre for people without electricity country, per square kilometre in 2023.
The figure is down 7.7% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people without electricity country, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 15.77 units per square kilometre in 1996 and was at its lowest, 4.99 units per square kilometre, in 2020.
That places South Africa 58th out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.
People without electricity country, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 15.77 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1997 | 11.49 units per square kilometre | -27.2% |
| 1998 | 13.37 units per square kilometre | +16.4% |
| 1999 | 11.04 units per square kilometre | -17.4% |
| 2000 | 10.73 units per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 11.69 units per square kilometre | +8.9% |
| 2002 | 9.22 units per square kilometre | -21.1% |
| 2003 | 8.48 units per square kilometre | -8.1% |
| 2004 | 7.83 units per square kilometre | -7.6% |
| 2005 | 7.83 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 7.95 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 7.5 units per square kilometre | -5.7% |
| 2008 | 7.63 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 7.42 units per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 7.42 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 7.16 units per square kilometre | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 6.56 units per square kilometre | -8.4% |
| 2013 | 6.67 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 6.46 units per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 6.87 units per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 2016 | 7.6 units per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 2017 | 7.41 units per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 7.39 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 7.37 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 4.99 units per square kilometre | -32.2% |
| 2021 | 5.42 units per square kilometre | +8.7% |
| 2022 | 6.94 units per square kilometre | +28.0% |
| 2023 | 6.41 units per square kilometre | -7.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.92 units per square kilometre | 11.04 units per square kilometre | 15.77 units per square kilometre | 4 |
| 2000s | 8.63 units per square kilometre | 7.42 units per square kilometre | 11.69 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.09 units per square kilometre | 6.46 units per square kilometre | 7.6 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.94 units per square kilometre | 4.99 units per square kilometre | 6.94 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 55 Kiribati 6.71 units per square kilometre compare
- 56 Nicaragua 6.63 units per square kilometre compare
- 57 Bangladesh 6.6 units per square kilometre compare
- 59 Jamaica 6.03 units per square kilometre compare
- 60 Solomon Islands 5.34 units per square kilometre compare
- 61 El Salvador 5.18 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 people without electricity country, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- People without electricity country, per square kilometre in South Africa was 6.41 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest people without electricity country, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 15.77 units per square kilometre in 1996.
- What is the lowest people without electricity country, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.99 units per square kilometre in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for people without electricity country, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 58th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is people without electricity country, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of People without electricity country, 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
People without electricity country 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.
People without electricity country ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people without access to electricity 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
People without electricity country 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.