China vs OECD (EI): Fossil fuel consumption
China
39,443 terawatt-hours
in 2025
OECD (EI)
49,270 terawatt-hours
in 2025
China rank
1st
OECD (EI) rank
1st
Fossil fuel consumption over time
- China
- OECD (EI)
How they compare
OECD (EI) currently reports 49,270 terawatt-hours against 39,443 terawatt-hours in China, a difference of 9,827 terawatt-hours.
That makes OECD (EI)'s figure about 1.2 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 214 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 | 1,549 terawatt-hours | 31,474 terawatt-hours | 29,926 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 1970s | 3,468 terawatt-hours | 41,544 terawatt-hours | 38,076 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 1980s | 5,778 terawatt-hours | 43,151 terawatt-hours | 37,373 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 1990s | 9,395 terawatt-hours | 49,182 terawatt-hours | 39,788 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 2000s | 18,134 terawatt-hours | 54,378 terawatt-hours | 36,244 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 2010s | 30,574 terawatt-hours | 52,785 terawatt-hours | 22,211 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 2020s | 37,260 terawatt-hours | 49,222 terawatt-hours | 11,962 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher fossil fuel consumption, China or OECD (EI)?
- OECD (EI), at 49,270 terawatt-hours against 39,443 terawatt-hours in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in fossil fuel consumption between China and OECD (EI)?
- 9,827 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 fossil fuel consumption?
- China ranks 1st and OECD (EI) ranks 1st of 214 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Fossil fuel consumption. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and gas.