China vs Russia: Coal reserves
China
157.04 billion tonnes
in 2023
Russia
162.17 billion tonnes
in 2023
China rank
3rd
Russia rank
2nd
Coal reserves over time
- China
- Russia
How they compare
Russia currently reports 162.17 billion tonnes against 157.04 billion tonnes in China, a difference of 5.12 billion tonnes.
Across all 16 years both countries report, Russia has been ahead every year.
China ranks 3rd and Russia ranks 2nd of 216 countries.
Russia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 114.50 billion tonnes | 160.78 billion tonnes | 46.28 billion tonnes | Russia |
| 2010s | 129.48 billion tonnes | 160.66 billion tonnes | 31.19 billion tonnes | Russia |
| 2020s | 150.12 billion tonnes | 162.17 billion tonnes | 12.05 billion tonnes | Russia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher coal reserves, China or Russia?
- Russia, at 162.17 billion tonnes against 157.04 billion tonnes in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in coal reserves between China and Russia?
- 5.12 billion tonnes, with Russia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Russia?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2023.
- How do China and Russia rank globally for coal reserves?
- China ranks 3rd and Russia ranks 2nd 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.