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

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

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

32 years are reported by both, from 1985 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.

Estonia vs South Africa: Energy intensity of the economy

Estonia

2.09 kWh per 2011$PPP

in 2016

South Africa

2.27 kWh per 2011$PPP

in 2016

Estonia rank

19th

South Africa rank

17th

Energy intensity of the economy over time

Estonia
South Africa

How they compare

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

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

The two have swapped places 5 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Estonia ahead.

Estonia ranks 19th and South Africa ranks 17th of 161 countries.

Estonia has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Estonia	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1980s	7.46 kWh per 2011$PPP	3.36 kWh per 2011$PPP	4.1 kWh per 2011$PPP	Estonia
1990s	5.24 kWh per 2011$PPP	3.36 kWh per 2011$PPP	1.88 kWh per 2011$PPP	Estonia
2000s	2.85 kWh per 2011$PPP	2.75 kWh per 2011$PPP	0.0993 kWh per 2011$PPP	Estonia
2010s	2.38 kWh per 2011$PPP	2.32 kWh per 2011$PPP	0.0629 kWh per 2011$PPP	Estonia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher energy intensity of the economy, Estonia or South Africa?: South Africa, at 2.27 kWh per 2011$PPP against 2.09 kWh per 2011$PPP in Estonia as of 2016.
What is the difference in energy intensity of the economy between Estonia and South Africa?: 0.18 kWh per 2011$PPP, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Estonia and South Africa?: 32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2016.
How do Estonia and South Africa rank globally for energy intensity of the economy?: Estonia ranks 19th and South Africa ranks 17th of 161 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Our World in Data based on BP; World Bank; and Maddison Project Database, published as Energy intensity of the economy (kWh per 2011$PPP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Estonia 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 09 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/energy-intensity-of-the-economy-kwh-per-2011-ppp/estonia/south-africa/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/energy-intensity-of-the-economy-kwh-per-2011-ppp/estonia/south-africa/">Estonia vs South Africa: Energy intensity of the economy</a> — Statizoid

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).