China vs South Africa: Access to electricity

Access to electricity in 2024: 100% in China and 90.2% in South Africa, by World Bank estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in China, by 9.8 percentage points, or 1.11 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · World Bank

ChinaSouth AfricaWorld

What the numbers say

China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
The world as a whole: 91.9% in 2024.

Every year

% of people · World Bank

Year	China	South Africa	World
2024	100	90.2	91.9
2023	100	87.7	91.6
2022	100	86.5	91.3
2021	100	89.3	91.3
2020	100	90	90.4
2019	100	85	90.1
2018	100	84.7	89.8
2017	100	84.4	88.9
2016	100	83.9	88.1
2015	100	85.3	86.9
2014	100	85.9	86.2
2013	100	85.2	85.7
2012	99.9	85.2	84.9
2011	99.9	83.6	84.5
2010	99.7	82.8	83.5
2009	99.1	82.6	82.9
2008	98.8	81.9	82.7
2007	98.5	82	82
2006	98.2	80.7	81.4
2005	97.9	80.8	80.7
2004	97.7	80.6	80
2003	97.4	78.8	80
2002	97.2	76.7	79.1
2001	97	70.2	78.7
2000	96.7	72.4	78.2
1999	–	71.3	74.5
1998	–	64.9	73.2
1997	–	69.5	–
1996	–	57.6	–

Each country on its own

Good to know

The share of people with access to electricity, from national surveys and the power industry.
Source: Tracking SDG 7 (World Bank ESMAP), via the World Bank.
Ranks count the 213 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

China vs South Africa: Access to electricity

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

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