China vs India: Share of primary energy from coal
China
56.9%
in 2025
India
59.0%
in 2025
China rank
3rd
India rank
2nd
Share of primary energy from coal over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 59.0% against 56.9% in China, a difference of 2.1%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 61 shared years of data; in 1965 it was China ahead.
China ranks 3rd and India ranks 2nd of 78 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 | 86.6% | 67.6% | 18.9% | China |
| 1970s | 75.8% | 60.7% | 15.1% | China |
| 1980s | 78.2% | 58.8% | 19.3% | China |
| 1990s | 77.2% | 57.7% | 19.6% | China |
| 2000s | 74.3% | 54.8% | 19.5% | China |
| 2010s | 68.4% | 57.3% | 11.1% | China |
| 2020s | 59.3% | 58.6% | 0.7% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of primary energy from coal, China or India?
- India, at 59.0% against 56.9% in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of primary energy from coal between China and India?
- 2.1%, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do China and India rank globally for share of primary energy from coal?
- China ranks 3rd and India ranks 2nd of 78 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of primary energy from coal. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total energy supply.