China vs Russia: Primary direct energy consumption by source
China
8,964 terawatt-hours
in 2024
Russia
2,129 terawatt-hours
in 2024
China rank
2nd
Russia rank
4th
Primary direct energy consumption by source over time
- China
- Russia
How they compare
China currently reports 8,964 terawatt-hours against 2,129 terawatt-hours in Russia, a difference of 6,835 terawatt-hours.
That makes China's figure about 4.2 times Russia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 40 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Russia ahead.
China ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 4th of 79 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and Russia in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,149 terawatt-hours | 2,981 terawatt-hours | 1,832 terawatt-hours | Russia |
| 1990s | 1,830 terawatt-hours | 2,084 terawatt-hours | 254.34 terawatt-hours | Russia |
| 2000s | 3,648 terawatt-hours | 1,521 terawatt-hours | 2,126 terawatt-hours | China |
| 2010s | 6,435 terawatt-hours | 1,799 terawatt-hours | 4,635 terawatt-hours | China |
| 2020s | 8,477 terawatt-hours | 1,987 terawatt-hours | 6,491 terawatt-hours | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary direct energy consumption by source, China or Russia?
- China, at 8,964 terawatt-hours against 2,129 terawatt-hours in Russia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in primary direct energy consumption by source between China and Russia?
- 6,835 terawatt-hours, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Russia?
- 40 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2024.
- How do China and Russia rank globally for primary direct energy consumption by source?
- China ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 4th of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Primary direct energy consumption by source. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Energy consumption is measured in terawatt-hours, in terms of direct primary energy. This means that fossil fuels include the energy lost due to inefficiencies in energy production.