China vs United States: Coal reserves
China
157.04 billion tonnes
in 2023
United States
247.88 billion tonnes
in 2023
China rank
3rd
United States rank
1st
Coal reserves over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 247.88 billion tonnes against 157.04 billion tonnes in China, a difference of 90.84 billion tonnes.
That makes United States's figure about 1.6 times China's.
Across all 16 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
China ranks 3rd and United States ranks 1st of 216 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 114.50 billion tonnes | 236.83 billion tonnes | 122.33 billion tonnes | United States |
| 2010s | 129.48 billion tonnes | 231.84 billion tonnes | 102.36 billion tonnes | United States |
| 2020s | 150.12 billion tonnes | 248.41 billion tonnes | 98.29 billion tonnes | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher coal reserves, China or United States?
- United States, at 247.88 billion tonnes against 157.04 billion tonnes in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in coal reserves between China and United States?
- 90.84 billion tonnes, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2023.
- How do China and United States rank globally for coal reserves?
- China ranks 3rd and United States ranks 1st 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.