Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs.
Saudi Arabia
8.7 terawatt-hours
in 2025
South Africa
9.85 terawatt-hours
in 2025
Saudi Arabia rank
15th
South Africa rank
13th
Year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs. over time
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 9.85 terawatt-hours against 8.7 terawatt-hours in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 1.15 terawatt-hours.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Saudi Arabia's.
The two have swapped places 31 times across 60 shared years of data; in 1966 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 13th of 80 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 terawatt-hours | -0.004 terawatt-hours | 0.004 terawatt-hours | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0.1123 terawatt-hours | 0.1123 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 1980s | 0 terawatt-hours | 3.52 terawatt-hours | 3.52 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 1990s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0.3831 terawatt-hours | 0.3831 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.0001 terawatt-hours | 0.1753 terawatt-hours | 0.1753 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.0212 terawatt-hours | 1.49 terawatt-hours | 1.47 terawatt-hours | South Africa |
| 2020s | 3.26 terawatt-hours | 1.54 terawatt-hours | 1.72 terawatt-hours | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs. low-carbon energy, Saudi Arabia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 9.85 terawatt-hours against 8.7 terawatt-hours in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs. low-carbon energy between Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 1.15 terawatt-hours, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 60 years are reported by both, from 1966 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and South Africa rank globally for year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs. low-carbon energy?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 13th of 80 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Year-to-year change in primary energy from fossil fuels vs. low-carbon energy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Change in total energy supply relative to the previous year, measured in terawatt-hours.