China vs OECD (EI): Share of primary energy from coal
China
56.9%
in 2025
OECD (EI)
11.1%
in 2025
China rank
3rd
OECD (EI) rank
3rd
Share of primary energy from coal over time
- China
- OECD (EI)
How they compare
China currently reports 56.9% against 11.1% in OECD (EI), a difference of 45.8%.
That makes China's figure about 5.1 times OECD (EI)'s.
Across all 61 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 3rd and OECD (EI) ranks 3rd of 78 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | OECD (EI) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 86.6% | 31.5% | 55.1% | China |
| 1970s | 75.8% | 23.1% | 52.6% | China |
| 1980s | 78.2% | 25.1% | 53.0% | China |
| 1990s | 77.2% | 21.6% | 55.6% | China |
| 2000s | 74.3% | 20.6% | 53.8% | China |
| 2010s | 68.4% | 17.9% | 50.5% | China |
| 2020s | 59.3% | 12.4% | 47.0% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of primary energy from coal, China or OECD (EI)?
- China, at 56.9% against 11.1% in OECD (EI) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of primary energy from coal between China and OECD (EI)?
- 45.8%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and OECD (EI)?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do China and OECD (EI) rank globally for share of primary energy from coal?
- China ranks 3rd and OECD (EI) ranks 3rd 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.