Number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels in South Africa
South Africa: Number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels was 56.76 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels in South Africa, 2000–2023
Source: World Health Organization (via World Bank) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels in South Africa stood at 56.76 million people. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 26.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels in South Africa peaked at 56.76 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 26.74 million people, in 2000.
South Africa ranks 21st of 189 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 32.75 million people | 26.74 million people | 39.21 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.52 million people | 40.57 million people | 52.02 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.08 million people | 53.36 million people | 56.76 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.191 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels in South Africa?
- Number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels in South Africa was 56.76 million people in 2023, according to World Health Organization (via World Bank) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 56.76 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.74 million people in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels?
- South Africa ranks 21st out of 189 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (via World Bank) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people with and without access to clean cooking fuels. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Access to clean fuels or technologies such as natural gas, electricity, and clean cookstoves reduces exposure to indoor air pollutants, a leading cause of death in low-income households.