China vs United Kingdom: Primary energy from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables
China
3.3%
in 2025
United Kingdom
6.2%
in 2025
China rank
24th
United Kingdom rank
22nd
Primary energy from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables over time
- China
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 6.2% against 3.3% in China, a difference of 2.9%.
That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.9 times China's.
Across all 61 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.
China ranks 24th and United Kingdom ranks 22nd of 216 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0% | 2.9% | 2.9% | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 0.0% | 3.9% | 3.9% | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 0.0% | 6.8% | 6.8% | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 0.3% | 10.1% | 9.9% | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 8.9% | 8.2% | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 1.6% | 9.0% | 7.4% | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 7.2% | 4.1% | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary energy from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables, China or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 6.2% against 3.3% in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in primary energy from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables between China and United Kingdom?
- 2.9%, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United Kingdom?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do China and United Kingdom rank globally for primary energy from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables?
- China ranks 24th and United Kingdom ranks 22nd of 216 countries.
- 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 from fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total energy supply.