Ethiopia vs South Africa: Dietary compositions by commodity group

Ethiopia
41.08 kilocalories per day per capita
in 2023
South Africa
40.09 kilocalories per day per capita
in 2023
Ethiopia rank
126th
South Africa rank
129th

Dietary compositions by commodity group over time

  • Ethiopia
  • South Africa
20304050196119922023

How they compare

Ethiopia currently reports 41.08 kilocalories per day per capita against 40.09 kilocalories per day per capita in South Africa, a difference of 0.99 kilocalories per day per capita.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1993 it was Ethiopia ahead.

Ethiopia ranks 126th and South Africa ranks 129th of 191 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ethiopia South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 21.61 kilocalories per day per capita 15.99 kilocalories per day per capita 5.62 kilocalories per day per capita Ethiopia
2000s 18.77 kilocalories per day per capita 22.75 kilocalories per day per capita 3.98 kilocalories per day per capita South Africa
2010s 43.24 kilocalories per day per capita 33.35 kilocalories per day per capita 9.89 kilocalories per day per capita Ethiopia
2020s 42.38 kilocalories per day per capita 40.98 kilocalories per day per capita 1.39 kilocalories per day per capita Ethiopia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher dietary compositions by commodity group, Ethiopia or South Africa?
Ethiopia, at 41.08 kilocalories per day per capita against 40.09 kilocalories per day per capita in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in dietary compositions by commodity group between Ethiopia and South Africa?
0.99 kilocalories per day per capita, with Ethiopia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Africa?
31 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2023.
How do Ethiopia and South Africa rank globally for dietary compositions by commodity group?
Ethiopia ranks 126th and South Africa ranks 129th of 191 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Dietary compositions by commodity group. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Dietary compositions by commodity group
Unit
kilocalories per day per capita
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
192 places, 10,214 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Average per capita dietary energy supply by commodity groups, measured in kilocalories per person per day.