People without electricity country in South Africa

South Africa: People without electricity country was 6.27 million in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
6.27 million
Change on year
down 19.3%
World rank
27th
of 214 countries
All-time high
19.13 million
in 1996
All-time low
6.06 million
in 2020
Years of data
29
1996–2024

People without electricity country in South Africa, 1996–2024

5.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M1996201020241996: 19.1M1997: 13.9M1998: 16.2M1999: 13.4M2000: 13.0M2001: 14.2M2002: 11.2M2003: 10.3M2004: 9.5M2005: 9.5M2006: 9.6M2007: 9.1M2008: 9.3M2009: 9.0M2010: 9.0M2011: 8.7M2012: 8.0M2013: 8.1M2014: 7.8M2015: 8.3M2016: 9.2M2017: 9.0M2018: 9.0M2019: 8.9M2020: 6.1M2021: 6.6M2022: 8.4M2023: 7.8M2024: 6.3M

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2024, people without electricity country in South Africa stood at 6.27 million.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 19.3% on the previous year and down 20.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people without electricity country in South Africa peaked at 19.13 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 6.06 million, in 2020.

That places South Africa 27th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.

People without electricity country in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for People without electricity country in South Africa, 1996 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1996 19.13 million
1997 13.94 million -27.2%
1998 16.22 million +16.4%
1999 13.40 million -17.4%
2000 13.02 million -2.8%
2001 14.17 million +8.9%
2002 11.19 million -21.1%
2003 10.28 million -8.1%
2004 9.50 million -7.6%
2005 9.50 million -0.0%
2006 9.65 million +1.6%
2007 9.10 million -5.7%
2008 9.25 million +1.7%
2009 9.00 million -2.7%
2010 9.00 million +0.0%
2011 8.69 million -3.5%
2012 7.96 million -8.4%
2013 8.09 million +1.7%
2014 7.84 million -3.1%
2015 8.34 million +6.4%
2016 9.22 million +10.6%
2017 8.99 million -2.5%
2018 8.97 million -0.3%
2019 8.94 million -0.3%
2020 6.06 million -32.2%
2021 6.58 million +8.7%
2022 8.42 million +28.0%
2023 7.78 million -7.7%
2024 6.27 million -19.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 15.67 million 13.40 million 19.13 million 4
2000s 10.47 million 9.00 million 14.17 million 10
2010s 8.60 million 7.84 million 9.22 million 10
2020s 7.02 million 6.06 million 8.42 million 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 24 Cameroon 8.15 million compare
  2. 25 Guinea 6.82 million compare
  3. 26 Zimbabwe 6.32 million compare
  4. 28 Philippines 6.02 million compare
  5. 29 Papua New Guinea 6.00 million compare
  6. 30 Benin 5.93 million compare

See the full ranking of 214 places →

More energy & mining data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is people without electricity country in South Africa?
People without electricity country in South Africa was 6.27 million in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest people without electricity country recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 19.13 million in 1996.
What is the lowest people without electricity country recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 6.06 million in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for people without electricity country?
South Africa ranks 27th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
Is people without electricity country rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of People without electricity country. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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People without electricity country in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://energy.statizoid.com/stat/people-without-electricity-country/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
People without electricity country
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
214 places, 6,702 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed