China vs USSR: Share of primary energy from coal
China
56.9%
in 2025
USSR
27.0%
in 1984
China rank
3rd
USSR rank
1st
Share of primary energy from coal over time
- China
- USSR
How they compare
China currently reports 56.9% against 27.0% in USSR, a difference of 29.9%.
That makes China's figure about 2.1 times USSR's.
Across all 20 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 3rd and USSR ranks 1st of 78 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 86.6% | 48.1% | 38.5% | China |
| 1970s | 75.8% | 36.7% | 39.1% | China |
| 1980s | 76.9% | 28.6% | 48.3% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of primary energy from coal, China or USSR?
- China, at 56.9% against 27.0% in USSR as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of primary energy from coal between China and USSR?
- 29.9%, 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 share of primary energy from coal?
- China ranks 3rd and USSR ranks 1st 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.