South Africa vs United States: Access to electricity

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

Watch it change on the map

% of people · World Bank

South AfricaUnited StatesWorld

What the numbers say

United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1996.
The world as a whole: 91.9% in 2024.

Every year

% of people · World Bank

Year	South Africa	United States	World
2024	90.2	100	91.9
2023	87.7	100	91.6
2022	86.5	100	91.3
2021	89.3	100	91.3
2020	90	100	90.4
2019	85	100	90.1
2018	84.7	100	89.8
2017	84.4	100	88.9
2016	83.9	100	88.1
2015	85.3	100	86.9
2014	85.9	100	86.2
2013	85.2	100	85.7
2012	85.2	100	84.9
2011	83.6	100	84.5
2010	82.8	100	83.5
2009	82.6	100	82.9
2008	81.9	100	82.7
2007	82	100	82
2006	80.7	100	81.4
2005	80.8	100	80.7
2004	80.6	100	80
2003	78.8	100	80
2002	76.7	100	79.1
2001	70.2	100	78.7
2000	72.4	100	78.2
1999	71.3	100	74.5
1998	64.9	100	73.2
1997	69.5	100	–
1996	57.6	100	–
1995	–	100	–
1994	–	100	–
1993	–	100	–
1992	–	100	–
1991	–	100	–
1990	–	100	–

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

South Africa vs United States

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsSouth Africa: 0 deaths in 2022United States: 1 deaths in 2022