China vs Saudi Arabia: Primary direct energy consumption by source
China
8,964 terawatt-hours
in 2024
Saudi Arabia
2,048 terawatt-hours
in 2024
China rank
2nd
Saudi Arabia rank
5th
Primary direct energy consumption by source over time
- China
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
China currently reports 8,964 terawatt-hours against 2,048 terawatt-hours in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 6,916 terawatt-hours.
That makes China's figure about 4.4 times Saudi Arabia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 60 shared years of data; in 1965 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
China ranks 2nd and Saudi Arabia ranks 5th of 79 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 6 and Saudi Arabia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 175.53 terawatt-hours | 233.09 terawatt-hours | 57.56 terawatt-hours | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 751.66 terawatt-hours | 287.84 terawatt-hours | 463.82 terawatt-hours | China |
| 1980s | 1,045 terawatt-hours | 502.85 terawatt-hours | 541.67 terawatt-hours | China |
| 1990s | 1,830 terawatt-hours | 711.5 terawatt-hours | 1,118 terawatt-hours | China |
| 2000s | 3,648 terawatt-hours | 1,119 terawatt-hours | 2,529 terawatt-hours | China |
| 2010s | 6,435 terawatt-hours | 1,891 terawatt-hours | 4,543 terawatt-hours | China |
| 2020s | 8,477 terawatt-hours | 1,925 terawatt-hours | 6,552 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 Saudi Arabia?
- China, at 8,964 terawatt-hours against 2,048 terawatt-hours in Saudi Arabia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in primary direct energy consumption by source between China and Saudi Arabia?
- 6,916 terawatt-hours, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Saudi Arabia?
- 60 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2024.
- How do China and Saudi Arabia rank globally for primary direct energy consumption by source?
- China ranks 2nd and Saudi Arabia ranks 5th 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.