China vs United States: Share of electricity generation from fossil fuels
China
58.3%
in 2025
United States
57.0%
in 2025
China rank
118th
United States rank
120th
Share of electricity generation from fossil fuels over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 58.3% against 57.0% in United States, a difference of 1.3%.
Across all 41 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 118th and United States ranks 120th of 213 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 79.2% | 71.8% | 7.4% | China |
| 1990s | 81.1% | 70.0% | 11.1% | China |
| 2000s | 81.3% | 71.2% | 10.2% | China |
| 2010s | 74.7% | 66.2% | 8.5% | China |
| 2020s | 64.0% | 59.1% | 4.9% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of electricity generation from fossil fuels, China or United States?
- China, at 58.3% against 57.0% in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of electricity generation from fossil fuels between China and United States?
- 1.3%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for share of electricity generation from fossil fuels?
- China ranks 118th and United States ranks 120th of 213 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of electricity generation from fossil fuels. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Electricity generation from coal, oil, and gas, measured as a percentage of total electricity produced in the country or region.