China vs Spain: Primary energy use per person
China
31,815 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
Spain
30,144 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
China rank
58th
Spain rank
60th
Primary energy use per person over time
- China
- Spain
How they compare
China currently reports 31,815 kilowatt-hours per person against 30,144 kilowatt-hours per person in Spain, a difference of 1,671 kilowatt-hours per person.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Spain's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 61 shared years of data; in 1965 it was Spain ahead.
China ranks 58th and Spain ranks 60th of 217 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Spain in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,061 kilowatt-hours per person | 11,016 kilowatt-hours per person | 8,955 kilowatt-hours per person | Spain |
| 1970s | 3,853 kilowatt-hours per person | 18,383 kilowatt-hours per person | 14,530 kilowatt-hours per person | Spain |
| 1980s | 5,529 kilowatt-hours per person | 23,302 kilowatt-hours per person | 17,774 kilowatt-hours per person | Spain |
| 1990s | 7,897 kilowatt-hours per person | 29,523 kilowatt-hours per person | 21,626 kilowatt-hours per person | Spain |
| 2000s | 14,258 kilowatt-hours per person | 37,155 kilowatt-hours per person | 22,898 kilowatt-hours per person | Spain |
| 2010s | 23,381 kilowatt-hours per person | 31,478 kilowatt-hours per person | 8,097 kilowatt-hours per person | Spain |
| 2020s | 29,240 kilowatt-hours per person | 28,973 kilowatt-hours per person | 266.78 kilowatt-hours per person | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary energy use per person, China or Spain?
- China, at 31,815 kilowatt-hours per person against 30,144 kilowatt-hours per person in Spain as of 2025.
- What is the difference in primary energy use per person between China and Spain?
- 1,671 kilowatt-hours per person, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Spain?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do China and Spain rank globally for primary energy use per person?
- China ranks 58th and Spain ranks 60th of 217 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 Primary energy use per person. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per person.