Afghanistan vs South Africa: Access to electricity

Afghanistan
84.1%
in 2016
South Africa
84.2%
in 2016
Afghanistan rank
159th
South Africa rank
158th

Access to electricity over time

  • Afghanistan
  • South Africa
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How they compare

South Africa currently reports 84.2% against 84.1% in Afghanistan, a difference of 0.1%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 27 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.

Afghanistan ranks 159th and South Africa ranks 158th of 217 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Afghanistan South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 0.0% 63.5% 63.5% South Africa
2000s 20.9% 78.7% 57.7% South Africa
2010s 66.8% 84.9% 18.1% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher access to electricity, Afghanistan or South Africa?
South Africa, at 84.2% against 84.1% in Afghanistan as of 2016.
What is the difference in access to electricity between Afghanistan and South Africa?
0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and South Africa?
27 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2016.
How do Afghanistan and South Africa rank globally for access to electricity?
Afghanistan ranks 159th and South Africa ranks 158th of 217 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Global Electrification Database 2012, published as Access to electricity (% of total population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Afghanistan vs South Africa: Access to electricity. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Global Electrification Database 2012. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/access-to-electricity-percent-of-total-population/afghanistan/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Access to electricity (% of total population)
Unit
% of total population
Source
World Bank Global Electrification Database 2012
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
219 places, 5,824 data points, 1990–2016
Last refreshed

Access to electricity is the percentage of population with access to electricity.