China vs Iran: Electricity generation from fossil fuels per person
China
4,361 kilowatt-hours
in 2025
Iran
4,038 kilowatt-hours
in 2025
China rank
35th
Iran rank
38th
Electricity generation from fossil fuels per person over time
- China
- Iran
How they compare
China currently reports 4,361 kilowatt-hours against 4,038 kilowatt-hours in Iran, a difference of 323 kilowatt-hours.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Iran's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 41 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Iran ahead.
China ranks 35th and Iran ranks 38th of 209 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Iran in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Iran | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 358.9 kilowatt-hours | 707.75 kilowatt-hours | 348.85 kilowatt-hours | Iran |
| 1990s | 627.71 kilowatt-hours | 1,203 kilowatt-hours | 574.82 kilowatt-hours | Iran |
| 2000s | 1,513 kilowatt-hours | 2,232 kilowatt-hours | 718.14 kilowatt-hours | Iran |
| 2010s | 3,100 kilowatt-hours | 3,111 kilowatt-hours | 10.16 kilowatt-hours | Iran |
| 2020s | 4,125 kilowatt-hours | 3,845 kilowatt-hours | 279.84 kilowatt-hours | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher electricity generation from fossil fuels per person, China or Iran?
- China, at 4,361 kilowatt-hours against 4,038 kilowatt-hours in Iran as of 2025.
- What is the difference in electricity generation from fossil fuels per person between China and Iran?
- 323 kilowatt-hours, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Iran?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2025.
- How do China and Iran rank globally for electricity generation from fossil fuels per person?
- China ranks 35th and Iran ranks 38th of 209 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Electricity generation from fossil fuels per person. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Electricity generation from coal, oil, and gas, measured in kilowatt-hours per person.