China vs South Africa: Share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking
Share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
China currently reports 10.0% against 10.0% in South Africa, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was China ahead.
China ranks 86th and South Africa ranks 86th of 194 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 53.6% | 33.5% | 20.1% | China |
| 2010s | 29.6% | 17.0% | 12.6% | China |
| 2020s | 12.6% | 10.8% | 1.8% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking, China or South Africa?
- China, at 10.0% against 10.0% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking between China and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking?
- China ranks 86th and South Africa ranks 86th of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population without access to clean fuels for cooking. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proportion of population without primary reliance on clean fuels and technology is calculated as the number of people unable to use clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting divided by total population reporting that any cooking, heating or lighting, expressed as percentage. “Clean” is defined by the emission rate targets and specific fuel recommendations (i.e. against unprocessed coal and kerosene) included in the normative guidance WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: household fuel combustion.