North Korea vs South Africa: Electricity generation from low-carbon sources per person (low-carbon)
North Korea
647.95 kilowatt-hours
in 2024
South Africa
668.91 kilowatt-hours
in 2025
North Korea rank
91st
South Africa rank
90th
Electricity generation from low-carbon sources per person (low-carbon) over time
- North Korea
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 668.91 kilowatt-hours against 647.95 kilowatt-hours in North Korea, a difference of 20.96 kilowatt-hours.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was North Korea ahead.
North Korea ranks 91st and South Africa ranks 90th of 214 countries.
North Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 493.39 kilowatt-hours | 286.64 kilowatt-hours | 206.76 kilowatt-hours | North Korea |
| 2010s | 488.9 kilowatt-hours | 352.92 kilowatt-hours | 135.97 kilowatt-hours | North Korea |
| 2020s | 606.09 kilowatt-hours | 531.07 kilowatt-hours | 75.02 kilowatt-hours | North Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher electricity generation from low-carbon sources per person, North Korea or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 668.91 kilowatt-hours against 647.95 kilowatt-hours in North Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in electricity generation from low-carbon sources per person between North Korea and South Africa?
- 20.96 kilowatt-hours, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do North Korea and South Africa rank globally for electricity generation from low-carbon sources per person?
- North Korea ranks 91st and South Africa ranks 90th of 214 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Electricity generation from low-carbon sources per person. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person. Low-carbon sources correspond to renewables and nuclear power, that produce significantly less greenhouse-gas emissions than fossil fuels. Renewables include solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal, wave, and tidal.