China vs Japan: GDP per capita vs. energy use
China
33,156 kg of oil equivalent per capita
in 2023
Japan
34,959 kg of oil equivalent per capita
in 2024
China rank
36th
Japan rank
34th
GDP per capita vs. energy use over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 34,959 kg of oil equivalent per capita against 33,156 kg of oil equivalent per capita in China, a difference of 1,803 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 174 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 | 9,620 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 44,248 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 34,628 kg of oil equivalent per capita | Japan |
| 2000s | 15,077 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 46,311 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 31,234 kg of oil equivalent per capita | Japan |
| 2010s | 25,093 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 40,516 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 15,423 kg of oil equivalent per capita | Japan |
| 2020s | 30,870 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 36,087 kg of oil equivalent per capita | 5,217 kg of oil equivalent per capita | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher gdp per capita vs. energy use, China or Japan?
- Japan, at 34,959 kg of oil equivalent per capita against 33,156 kg of oil equivalent per capita in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in gdp per capita vs. energy use between China and Japan?
- 1,803 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 gdp per capita vs. energy use?
- China ranks 36th and Japan ranks 34th of 174 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as GDP per capita vs. energy use. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual energy use per capita, measured in kilowatt-hours per person vs. gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, which is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.