France vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Primary energy use
France
2,507 terawatt-hours
in 2025
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1,748 terawatt-hours
in 2025
France rank
14th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
17th
Primary energy use over time
- France
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
France currently reports 2,507 terawatt-hours against 1,748 terawatt-hours in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 759 terawatt-hours.
That makes France's figure about 1.4 times United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 61 shared years of data; in 1965 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
France ranks 14th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 17th of 219 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, France averaged higher in 4 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,387 terawatt-hours | 2,373 terawatt-hours | 986.07 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1970s | 2,000 terawatt-hours | 2,520 terawatt-hours | 520.41 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1980s | 2,307 terawatt-hours | 2,386 terawatt-hours | 79.23 terawatt-hours | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1990s | 2,843 terawatt-hours | 2,595 terawatt-hours | 247.82 terawatt-hours | France |
| 2000s | 3,107 terawatt-hours | 2,636 terawatt-hours | 471.36 terawatt-hours | France |
| 2010s | 2,876 terawatt-hours | 2,250 terawatt-hours | 626.29 terawatt-hours | France |
| 2020s | 2,456 terawatt-hours | 1,814 terawatt-hours | 641.21 terawatt-hours | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary energy use, France or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- France, at 2,507 terawatt-hours against 1,748 terawatt-hours in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in primary energy use between France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 759 terawatt-hours, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for primary energy use?
- France ranks 14th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 17th of 219 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Primary energy use. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours of total energy supply.