China vs OECD (EI): Primary energy use
China
45,054 terawatt-hours
in 2025
OECD (EI)
61,079 terawatt-hours
in 2025
China rank
1st
OECD (EI) rank
1st
Primary energy use over time
- China
- OECD (EI)
How they compare
OECD (EI) currently reports 61,079 terawatt-hours against 45,054 terawatt-hours in China, a difference of 16,025 terawatt-hours.
That makes OECD (EI)'s figure about 1.4 times China's.
Across all 61 years both countries report, OECD (EI) has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and OECD (EI) ranks 1st of 218 countries.
OECD (EI) has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | OECD (EI) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,571 terawatt-hours | 32,468 terawatt-hours | 30,898 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 1970s | 3,507 terawatt-hours | 43,615 terawatt-hours | 40,107 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 1980s | 5,867 terawatt-hours | 48,135 terawatt-hours | 42,268 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 1990s | 9,593 terawatt-hours | 57,171 terawatt-hours | 47,578 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 2000s | 18,709 terawatt-hours | 63,850 terawatt-hours | 45,141 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 2010s | 32,539 terawatt-hours | 63,032 terawatt-hours | 30,492 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 2020s | 41,591 terawatt-hours | 60,461 terawatt-hours | 18,870 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary energy use, China or OECD (EI)?
- OECD (EI), at 61,079 terawatt-hours against 45,054 terawatt-hours in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in primary energy use between China and OECD (EI)?
- 16,025 terawatt-hours, with OECD (EI) 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 primary energy use?
- China ranks 1st and OECD (EI) ranks 1st of 218 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 Primary energy use. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours of total energy supply.