India vs South Africa: Access to electricity

India
84.5%
in 2016
South Africa
84.2%
in 2016
India rank
156th
South Africa rank
158th

Access to electricity over time

  • India
  • South Africa
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How they compare

India currently reports 84.5% against 84.2% in South Africa, a difference of 0.3%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 27 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.

India ranks 156th 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 India South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 51.1% 63.5% 12.4% South Africa
2000s 65.7% 78.7% 12.9% South Africa
2010s 79.6% 84.9% 5.3% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher access to electricity, India or South Africa?
India, at 84.5% against 84.2% in South Africa as of 2016.
What is the difference in access to electricity between India and South Africa?
0.3%, with India ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for India and South Africa?
27 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2016.
How do India and South Africa rank globally for access to electricity?
India ranks 156th 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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India vs South Africa: Access to electricity. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Global Electrification Database 2012. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/access-to-electricity-percent-of-total-population/india/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.