China vs USSR: Coal consumption per person
China
18,093 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
USSR
14,290 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1984
China rank
4th
USSR rank
1st
Coal consumption per person over time
- China
- USSR
How they compare
China currently reports 18,093 kilowatt-hours per person against 14,290 kilowatt-hours per person in USSR, a difference of 3,803 kilowatt-hours per person.
That makes China's figure about 1.3 times USSR's.
Across all 20 years both countries report, USSR has been ahead every year.
China ranks 4th and USSR ranks 1st of 218 countries.
USSR has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,784 kilowatt-hours per person | 15,301 kilowatt-hours per person | 13,517 kilowatt-hours per person | USSR |
| 1970s | 2,898 kilowatt-hours per person | 15,414 kilowatt-hours per person | 12,517 kilowatt-hours per person | USSR |
| 1980s | 3,767 kilowatt-hours per person | 14,577 kilowatt-hours per person | 10,810 kilowatt-hours per person | USSR |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher coal consumption per person, China or USSR?
- China, at 18,093 kilowatt-hours per person against 14,290 kilowatt-hours per person in USSR as of 2025.
- What is the difference in coal consumption per person between China and USSR?
- 3,803 kilowatt-hours per person, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and USSR?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1984.
- How do China and USSR rank globally for coal consumption per person?
- China ranks 4th and USSR ranks 1st of 218 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 per person. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.