United States vs USSR: Primary energy use by source
United States
2,425 terawatt-hours
in 2025
USSR
3,933 terawatt-hours
in 1984
United States rank
3rd
USSR rank
2nd
Primary energy use by source over time
- United States
- USSR
How they compare
USSR currently reports 3,933 terawatt-hours against 2,425 terawatt-hours in United States, a difference of 1,508 terawatt-hours.
That makes USSR's figure about 1.6 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 20 shared years of data; in 1965 it was USSR ahead.
United States ranks 3rd and USSR ranks 2nd of 78 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, United States averaged higher in 1 and USSR in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United States | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3,360 terawatt-hours | 3,594 terawatt-hours | 233.86 terawatt-hours | USSR |
| 1970s | 3,635 terawatt-hours | 3,891 terawatt-hours | 256.77 terawatt-hours | USSR |
| 1980s | 4,433 terawatt-hours | 3,938 terawatt-hours | 495.37 terawatt-hours | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary energy use by source, United States or USSR?
- USSR, at 3,933 terawatt-hours against 2,425 terawatt-hours in United States as of 1984.
- What is the difference in primary energy use by source between United States and USSR?
- 1,508 terawatt-hours, with USSR ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United States and USSR?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1984.
- How do United States and USSR rank globally for primary energy use by source?
- United States ranks 3rd and USSR ranks 2nd of 78 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Primary energy use by source. 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.