Oil consumption per person in South Africa
South Africa: Oil consumption per person was 4,207 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Oil consumption per person in South Africa, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.
Analysis
In 2025, oil consumption per person in South Africa stood at 4,207 kilowatt-hours per person.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 30.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, oil consumption per person in South Africa peaked at 6,140 kilowatt-hours per person in 2007 and was at its lowest, 3,529 kilowatt-hours per person, in 1965.
South Africa ranks 141st of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 61 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3,944 kilowatt-hours per person | 3,529 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,410 kilowatt-hours per person | 5 |
| 1970s | 5,189 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,636 kilowatt-hours per person | 5,589 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 4,903 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,537 kilowatt-hours per person | 5,136 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 5,237 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,840 kilowatt-hours per person | 5,563 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,862 kilowatt-hours per person | 5,578 kilowatt-hours per person | 6,140 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,752 kilowatt-hours per person | 5,416 kilowatt-hours per person | 6,079 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,446 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,151 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,658 kilowatt-hours per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 138 Morocco 4,592 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 139 Paraguay 4,497 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 140 Honduras 4,446 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 142 Bhutan 4,159 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 143 Vanuatu 4,062 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 144 Ukraine 3,956 kilowatt-hours per person compare
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 oil consumption per person in South Africa?
- Oil consumption per person in South Africa was 4,207 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest oil consumption per person recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6,140 kilowatt-hours per person in 2007.
- What is the lowest oil consumption per person recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,529 kilowatt-hours per person in 1965.
- How does South Africa rank for oil consumption per person?
- South Africa ranks 141st out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is oil consumption per person rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Oil consumption per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person. Includes refined petroleum products and other liquid fuels.