South Africa vs Zambia: Access to electricity

Access to electricity in 2024: 90.2% in South Africa and 53.6% in Zambia, by World Bank estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 36.6 percentage points, or 1.68 times that in Zambia.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · World Bank

South AfricaZambiaWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1996.
In 2024, South Africa ranked 159 and Zambia ranked 195 of 213 countries, counting from the highest.
The world as a whole: 91.9% in 2024.

Every year

% of people · World Bank

Year	South Africa	Zambia	World
2024	90.2	53.6	91.9
2023	87.7	51.1	91.6
2022	86.5	47.8	91.3
2021	89.3	46.7	91.3
2020	90	44.6	90.4
2019	85	43	90.1
2018	84.7	40.2	89.8
2017	84.4	40.3	88.9
2016	83.9	35.4	88.1
2015	85.3	31.1	86.9
2014	85.9	27.9	86.2
2013	85.2	30.1	85.7
2012	85.2	29.2	84.9
2011	83.6	28.3	84.5
2010	82.8	22	83.5
2009	82.6	26.6	82.9
2008	81.9	25.7	82.7
2007	82	18.5	82
2006	80.7	24.1	81.4
2005	80.8	23.3	80.7
2004	80.6	20.3	80
2003	78.8	18.5	80
2002	76.7	17.4	79.1
2001	70.2	20.2	78.7
2000	72.4	16.7	78.2
1999	71.3	18.5	74.5
1998	64.9	19	73.2
1997	69.5	17.1	–
1996	57.6	17.3	–
1995	–	15.7	–
1994	–	14.9	–
1993	–	14.2	–
1992	–	19.2	–
1991	–	12.8	–
1990	–	13.9	–

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 Zambia: Access to electricity

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

South Africa vs Zambia

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