What is the difference in energy intensity of the economy between China and South Africa?

0.18 kWh per 2011$PPP, with South Africa ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?

52 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2016.

Where does this data come from?

Our World in Data based on BP; World Bank; and Maddison Project Database, published as Energy intensity of the economy (kWh per 2011$PPP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

China vs South Africa: Energy intensity of the economy

China

2.09 kWh per 2011$PPP

in 2016

South Africa

2.27 kWh per 2011$PPP

in 2016

China rank

20th

South Africa rank

17th

Energy intensity of the economy over time

China
South Africa

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 2.27 kWh per 2011$PPP against 2.09 kWh per 2011$PPP in China, a difference of 0.18 kWh per 2011$PPP.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times China's.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 52 shared years of data; in 1965 it was South Africa ahead.

China ranks 20th and South Africa ranks 17th of 161 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade	China	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1960s	1.87 kWh per 2011$PPP	2.5 kWh per 2011$PPP	0.6332 kWh per 2011$PPP	South Africa
1970s	2.76 kWh per 2011$PPP	2.51 kWh per 2011$PPP	0.2566 kWh per 2011$PPP	China
1980s	2.7 kWh per 2011$PPP	3.11 kWh per 2011$PPP	0.4157 kWh per 2011$PPP	South Africa
1990s	2.65 kWh per 2011$PPP	3.36 kWh per 2011$PPP	0.7073 kWh per 2011$PPP	South Africa
2000s	2.44 kWh per 2011$PPP	2.75 kWh per 2011$PPP	0.3181 kWh per 2011$PPP	South Africa
2010s	2.21 kWh per 2011$PPP	2.32 kWh per 2011$PPP	0.1067 kWh per 2011$PPP	South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher energy intensity of the economy, China or South Africa?: South Africa, at 2.27 kWh per 2011$PPP against 2.09 kWh per 2011$PPP in China as of 2016.
What is the difference in energy intensity of the economy between China and South Africa?: 0.18 kWh per 2011$PPP, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?: 52 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2016.
How do China and South Africa rank globally for energy intensity of the economy?: China ranks 20th and South Africa ranks 17th of 161 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Our World in Data based on BP; World Bank; and Maddison Project Database, published as Energy intensity of the economy (kWh per 2011$PPP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs South Africa: Energy intensity of the economy. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data based on BP; World Bank; and Maddison Project Database. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/energy-intensity-of-the-economy-kwh-per-2011-ppp/china/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator: Energy intensity of the economy (kWh per 2011$PPP)
Unit: kWh per 2011$PPP
Source: Our World in Data based on BP; World Bank; and Maddison Project Database
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 161 places, 6,650 data points, 1965–2016
Last refreshed: 07 September 2026

Energy intensity is measured as primary energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product. This is measured in kilowatt-hours per 2011$ (PPP).