South Africa
Access to electricity in South Africa
Access to electricity in South Africa: 57.6% in 1996 and 90.2% in 2024, by World Bank estimates.
- Latest, 2024
- 90.2%
- Since 1996
- +32.6 percentage points
- Rank, 2024
- 159 of 213
- counting from the highest
- World, 2024
- 91.9%
% of people · World Bank
Every year
% of people · World Bank
| Year | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 90.2 | 91.9 |
| 2023 | 87.7 | 91.6 |
| 2022 | 86.5 | 91.3 |
| 2021 | 89.3 | 91.3 |
| 2020 | 90 | 90.4 |
| 2019 | 85 | 90.1 |
| 2018 | 84.7 | 89.8 |
| 2017 | 84.4 | 88.9 |
| 2016 | 83.9 | 88.1 |
| 2015 | 85.3 | 86.9 |
| 2014 | 85.9 | 86.2 |
| 2013 | 85.2 | 85.7 |
| 2012 | 85.2 | 84.9 |
| 2011 | 83.6 | 84.5 |
| 2010 | 82.8 | 83.5 |
| 2009 | 82.6 | 82.9 |
| 2008 | 81.9 | 82.7 |
| 2007 | 82 | 82 |
| 2006 | 80.7 | 81.4 |
| 2005 | 80.8 | 80.7 |
| 2004 | 80.6 | 80 |
| 2003 | 78.8 | 80 |
| 2002 | 76.7 | 79.1 |
| 2001 | 70.2 | 78.7 |
| 2000 | 72.4 | 78.2 |
| 1999 | 71.3 | 74.5 |
| 1998 | 64.9 | 73.2 |
| 1997 | 69.5 | – |
| 1996 | 57.6 | – |
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 in numbers
Every measure for South Africa on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$3B in 2025
- Military spending per person$49 in 2025
- Military share of state spending2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel89,000 people in 2020
- National power0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports115 million TIV in 2025