Australia vs South Africa: Electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables
Australia
175.76 terawatt-hours
in 2025
South Africa
199.45 terawatt-hours
in 2025
Australia rank
16th
South Africa rank
15th
Electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables over time
- Australia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 199.45 terawatt-hours against 175.76 terawatt-hours in Australia, a difference of 23.69 terawatt-hours.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.
Australia ranks 16th and South Africa ranks 15th of 208 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 159.01 terawatt-hours | 172.87 terawatt-hours | 13.87 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2000s | 213.47 terawatt-hours | 224.9 terawatt-hours | 11.42 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2010s | 218.2 terawatt-hours | 235.93 terawatt-hours | 17.73 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2020s | 185.53 terawatt-hours | 206.56 terawatt-hours | 21.03 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables, Australia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 199.45 terawatt-hours against 175.76 terawatt-hours in Australia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables between Australia and South Africa?
- 23.69 terawatt-hours, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Africa?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Australia and South Africa rank globally for electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables?
- Australia ranks 16th and South Africa ranks 15th of 208 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Electricity generation from fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Electricity generation from coal, oil, and gas, measured in terawatt-hours.