Australia vs China: Coal reserves
Australia
149.47 billion tonnes
in 2023
China
157.04 billion tonnes
in 2023
Australia rank
4th
China rank
3rd
Coal reserves over time
- Australia
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 157.04 billion tonnes against 149.47 billion tonnes in Australia, a difference of 7.57 billion tonnes.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 16 shared years of data; in 2008 it was China ahead.
Australia ranks 4th and China ranks 3rd of 216 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 78.90 billion tonnes | 114.50 billion tonnes | 35.60 billion tonnes | China |
| 2010s | 123.30 billion tonnes | 129.48 billion tonnes | 6.18 billion tonnes | China |
| 2020s | 149.85 billion tonnes | 150.12 billion tonnes | 269.50 million tonnes | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher coal reserves, Australia or China?
- China, at 157.04 billion tonnes against 149.47 billion tonnes in Australia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in coal reserves between Australia and China?
- 7.57 billion tonnes, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and China?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2023.
- How do Australia and China rank globally for coal reserves?
- Australia ranks 4th and China ranks 3rd of 216 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Coal reserves. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proved reserves, measured in tonnes, are generally those quantities that can be recovered in the future from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions, according to geological and engineering information.