United States vs USSR: Coal consumption
United States
2,425 terawatt-hours
in 2025
USSR
3,933 terawatt-hours
in 1984
United States rank
4th
USSR rank
3rd
Coal consumption over time
- United States
- USSR
How they compare
USSR currently reports 3,933 terawatt-hours against 2,425 terawatt-hours in United States, a difference of 1,508 terawatt-hours.
That makes USSR's figure about 1.6 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 20 shared years of data; in 1965 it was USSR ahead.
United States ranks 4th and USSR ranks 3rd of 220 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, United States averaged higher in 1 and USSR in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United States | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3,360 terawatt-hours | 3,594 terawatt-hours | 233.86 terawatt-hours | USSR |
| 1970s | 3,635 terawatt-hours | 3,891 terawatt-hours | 256.77 terawatt-hours | USSR |
| 1980s | 4,433 terawatt-hours | 3,938 terawatt-hours | 495.37 terawatt-hours | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher coal consumption, United States or USSR?
- USSR, at 3,933 terawatt-hours against 2,425 terawatt-hours in United States as of 1984.
- What is the difference in coal consumption between United States and USSR?
- 1,508 terawatt-hours, with USSR ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United States and USSR?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1984.
- How do United States and USSR rank globally for coal consumption?
- United States ranks 4th and USSR ranks 3rd of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Coal consumption. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.