OECD (EI) vs USSR: Primary energy use
OECD (EI)
61,079 terawatt-hours
in 2025
USSR
17,692 terawatt-hours
in 1991
OECD (EI) rank
1st
USSR rank
3rd
Primary energy use over time
- OECD (EI)
- USSR
How they compare
OECD (EI) currently reports 61,079 terawatt-hours against 17,692 terawatt-hours in USSR, a difference of 43,387 terawatt-hours.
That makes OECD (EI)'s figure about 3.5 times USSR's.
Across all 27 years both countries report, OECD (EI) has been ahead every year.
OECD (EI) ranks 1st and USSR ranks 3rd of 2 groups.
OECD (EI) has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | OECD (EI) | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 32,468 terawatt-hours | 7,495 terawatt-hours | 24,973 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 1970s | 43,615 terawatt-hours | 10,740 terawatt-hours | 32,875 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 1980s | 48,135 terawatt-hours | 15,673 terawatt-hours | 32,462 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
| 1990s | 53,616 terawatt-hours | 17,833 terawatt-hours | 35,783 terawatt-hours | OECD (EI) |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary energy use, OECD (EI) or USSR?
- OECD (EI), at 61,079 terawatt-hours against 17,692 terawatt-hours in USSR as of 2025.
- What is the difference in primary energy use between OECD (EI) and USSR?
- 43,387 terawatt-hours, with OECD (EI) ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for OECD (EI) and USSR?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1991.
- How do OECD (EI) and USSR rank globally for primary energy use?
- OECD (EI) ranks 1st and USSR ranks 3rd of 2 groups.
- 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.