China vs India: Coal consumption, per square kilometre

China
0.0027 terawatt-hours per square kilometre
in 2023
India
0.0021 terawatt-hours per square kilometre
in 2023
China rank
5th
India rank
7th

Coal consumption, per square kilometre over time

  • China
  • India
00.0010.0020.003196519942023

How they compare

China currently reports 0.0027 terawatt-hours per square kilometre against 0.0021 terawatt-hours per square kilometre in India, a difference of 0.0006 terawatt-hours per square kilometre.

That makes China's figure about 1.3 times India's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 59 shared years of data; in 1965 it was China ahead.

China ranks 5th and India ranks 7th of 205 countries.

China has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China India Difference Ahead
1960s 0.0001 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0001 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0 terawatt-hours per square kilometre China
1970s 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0002 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0001 terawatt-hours per square kilometre China
1980s 0.0005 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0002 terawatt-hours per square kilometre China
1990s 0.0008 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0005 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0003 terawatt-hours per square kilometre China
2000s 0.0015 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0008 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0007 terawatt-hours per square kilometre China
2010s 0.0024 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0014 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0009 terawatt-hours per square kilometre China
2020s 0.0026 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0018 terawatt-hours per square kilometre 0.0007 terawatt-hours per square kilometre China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher coal consumption, per square kilometre, China or India?
China, at 0.0027 terawatt-hours per square kilometre against 0.0021 terawatt-hours per square kilometre in India as of 2023.
What is the difference in coal consumption, per square kilometre between China and India?
0.0006 terawatt-hours per square kilometre, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
59 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2023.
How do China and India rank globally for coal consumption, per square kilometre?
China ranks 5th and India ranks 7th of 205 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Statizoid (derived), published as Coal consumption, per square kilometre. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs India: Coal consumption, per square kilometre. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://energy.statizoid.com/compare/coal-consumption-per-square-kilometre/china/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Coal consumption, per square kilometre
Unit
terawatt-hours per square kilometre
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
205 places, 9,288 data points, 1965–2023
Last refreshed

Coal consumption divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.