Rwanda vs South Africa
Rwanda vs South Africa: Access to electricity
Access to electricity in 2024: 72% in Rwanda and 90.2% in South Africa, by World Bank estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 18.2 percentage points, or 1.25 times that in Rwanda.
% of people · World Bank
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1997.
- The world as a whole: 91.9% in 2024.
Every year
% of people · World Bank
| Year | Rwanda | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 72 | 90.2 | 91.9 |
| 2023 | 63.9 | 87.7 | 91.6 |
| 2022 | 50.6 | 86.5 | 91.3 |
| 2021 | 48.7 | 89.3 | 91.3 |
| 2020 | 45.2 | 90 | 90.4 |
| 2019 | 46.6 | 85 | 90.1 |
| 2018 | 38 | 84.7 | 89.8 |
| 2017 | 34.1 | 84.4 | 88.9 |
| 2016 | 29.4 | 83.9 | 88.1 |
| 2015 | 22.8 | 85.3 | 86.9 |
| 2014 | 19.8 | 85.9 | 86.2 |
| 2013 | 15.2 | 85.2 | 85.7 |
| 2012 | 17.5 | 85.2 | 84.9 |
| 2011 | 10.8 | 83.6 | 84.5 |
| 2010 | 9.7 | 82.8 | 83.5 |
| 2009 | 15.6 | 82.6 | 82.9 |
| 2008 | 6 | 81.9 | 82.7 |
| 2007 | 12.8 | 82 | 82 |
| 2006 | 11.4 | 80.7 | 81.4 |
| 2005 | 4.8 | 80.8 | 80.7 |
| 2004 | 8.7 | 80.6 | 80 |
| 2003 | 7.4 | 78.8 | 80 |
| 2002 | 6 | 76.7 | 79.1 |
| 2001 | 4.7 | 70.2 | 78.7 |
| 2000 | 6.2 | 72.4 | 78.2 |
| 1999 | 3.3 | 71.3 | 74.5 |
| 1998 | 2.2 | 64.9 | 73.2 |
| 1997 | 1 | 69.5 | – |
| 1996 | – | 57.6 | – |
| 1992 | 2.3 | – | – |
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
Rwanda vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyRwanda: 67.8 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityRwanda: 3.8 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityRwanda: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionRwanda: 3.87% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateRwanda: 11 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationRwanda: 14 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthRwanda: 2.18% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateRwanda: 3.7 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationRwanda: 30.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageRwanda: 19.4 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overRwanda: 3.8% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateRwanda: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingRwanda: 1.29% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsRwanda: $194M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personRwanda: $13 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingRwanda: 4.7% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelRwanda: 35,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerRwanda: 0.07% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersRwanda: 0.7% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsRwanda: 37 million TIV in 2023South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025