China vs Japan: Energy use
China
2,851 kg of oil equivalent per capita
in 2023
Japan
3,006 kg of oil equivalent per capita
in 2024
China rank
36th
Japan rank
34th
Energy use over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 3,006 kg of oil equivalent per capita against 2,851 kg of oil equivalent per capita in China, a difference of 155 kg of oil equivalent per capita.
That makes Japan's figure about 1.1 times China's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
China ranks 36th and Japan ranks 34th of 176 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 827.17 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 3,805 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 2,978 kg of oil equivalent per capita | Japan |
| 2000s | 1,296 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 3,982 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 2,686 kg of oil equivalent per capita | Japan |
| 2010s | 2,158 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 3,484 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 1,326 kg of oil equivalent per capita | Japan |
| 2020s | 2,654 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 3,103 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 448.62 kg of oil equivalent per capita | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher energy use, China or Japan?
- Japan, at 3,006 kg of oil equivalent per capita against 2,851 kg of oil equivalent per capita in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in energy use between China and Japan?
- 155 kg of oil equivalent per capita, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for energy use?
- China ranks 36th and Japan ranks 34th of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA), published as Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Energy use refers to use of primary energy before transformation to other end-use fuels, which is equal to indigenous production plus imports and stock changes, minus exports and fuels supplied to ships and aircraft engaged in international transport.