Annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower in South Africa

South Africa: Annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower was 67.0% in 2025. β—† Volatile

Latest (2025)
67.0%
Change on year
up 245.6%
World rank
1st
of 68 countries
All-time high
644.6%
in 1972
All-time low
-80.6%
in 1993
Years of data
60
1966–2025

Annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower in South Africa, 1966–2025

0200400600196619952025

Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2025, annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower in South Africa stood at 67.0%.

That represents a change of up 245.6% on the previous year and up 213.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower in South Africa peaked at 644.6% in 1972 and was at its lowest, -80.6%, in 1993.

South Africa ranks 1st of 68 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s -12.7% -27.8% -2.7% 4
1970s 107.3% -40.0% 644.6% 10
1980s 22.1% -41.4% 160.1% 10
1990s 60.5% -80.6% 635.6% 10
2000s 19.9% -60.3% 117.5% 10
2010s 10.3% -66.8% 168.1% 10
2020s 33.9% -46.1% 107.2% 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Ireland -14.8% compare
  2. 2 Luxembourg -29.3% compare
  3. 2 Taiwan 30.7% compare
  4. 3 Morocco 25.6% compare
  5. 4 Colombia 25.0% compare

See the full ranking of 73 places β†’

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower in South Africa?
Annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower in South Africa was 67.0% in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 644.6% in 1972.
What is the lowest annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was -80.6% in 1993.
How does South Africa rank for annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower?
South Africa ranks 1st out of 68 countries with data for 2025.
Is annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 213.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV Β· JSON β€” 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Annual percentage change in primary energy from hydropower
Unit
%
Source
Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
73 places, 4,007 data points, 1966–2025
Last refreshed

Percentage change in total energy supply relative to the previous year.