China vs Japan: Primary energy from renewables per person
China
2,924 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
Japan
3,011 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
China rank
32nd
Japan rank
30th
Primary energy from renewables per person over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 3,011 kilowatt-hours per person against 2,924 kilowatt-hours per person in China, a difference of 87 kilowatt-hours per person.
Across all 61 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
China ranks 32nd and Japan ranks 30th of 79 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 28.92 kilowatt-hours per person | 723.48 kilowatt-hours per person | 694.56 kilowatt-hours per person | Japan |
| 1970s | 42.91 kilowatt-hours per person | 738.67 kilowatt-hours per person | 695.76 kilowatt-hours per person | Japan |
| 1980s | 83.39 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,042 kilowatt-hours per person | 958.28 kilowatt-hours per person | Japan |
| 1990s | 141.36 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,153 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,012 kilowatt-hours per person | Japan |
| 2000s | 331.74 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,296 kilowatt-hours per person | 963.84 kilowatt-hours per person | Japan |
| 2010s | 1,028 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,666 kilowatt-hours per person | 638.09 kilowatt-hours per person | Japan |
| 2020s | 2,190 kilowatt-hours per person | 2,620 kilowatt-hours per person | 430.47 kilowatt-hours per person | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary energy from renewables per person, China or Japan?
- Japan, at 3,011 kilowatt-hours per person against 2,924 kilowatt-hours per person in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in primary energy from renewables per person between China and Japan?
- 87 kilowatt-hours per person, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for primary energy from renewables per person?
- China ranks 32nd and Japan ranks 30th of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Primary energy from renewables 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.