Coal consumption in China
China: Coal consumption was 25,622 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
25,622 terawatt-hours
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
1st
of 220 countries
All-time high
25,622 terawatt-hours
in 2025
All-time low
1,256 terawatt-hours
in 1968
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Coal consumption in China, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
China recorded 25,622 terawatt-hours for coal consumption in 2025. That is the highest value across all 61 years on record.
The figure is up 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, coal consumption in China peaked at 25,622 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,256 terawatt-hours, in 1968.
That places China 1st out of 220 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Coal consumption in China, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 1,331 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 1,424 terawatt-hours | +7.0% |
| 1967 | 1,265 terawatt-hours | -11.1% |
| 1968 | 1,256 terawatt-hours | -0.7% |
| 1969 | 1,517 terawatt-hours | +20.8% |
| 1970 | 1,930 terawatt-hours | +27.2% |
| 1971 | 2,225 terawatt-hours | +15.3% |
| 1972 | 2,353 terawatt-hours | +5.8% |
| 1973 | 2,384 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 2,359 terawatt-hours | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 2,658 terawatt-hours | +12.7% |
| 1976 | 2,723 terawatt-hours | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 2,996 terawatt-hours | +10.0% |
| 1978 | 3,289 terawatt-hours | +9.8% |
| 1979 | 3,403 terawatt-hours | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 3,539 terawatt-hours | +4.0% |
| 1981 | 3,520 terawatt-hours | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 3,725 terawatt-hours | +5.8% |
| 1983 | 3,989 terawatt-hours | +7.1% |
| 1984 | 4,338 terawatt-hours | +8.8% |
| 1985 | 4,736 terawatt-hours | +9.2% |
| 1986 | 4,951 terawatt-hours | +4.5% |
| 1987 | 5,372 terawatt-hours | +8.5% |
| 1988 | 5,771 terawatt-hours | +7.4% |
| 1989 | 6,047 terawatt-hours | +4.8% |
| 1990 | 6,135 terawatt-hours | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 6,433 terawatt-hours | +4.9% |
| 1992 | 6,732 terawatt-hours | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 7,170 terawatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 1994 | 7,642 terawatt-hours | +6.6% |
| 1995 | 7,737 terawatt-hours | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 8,095 terawatt-hours | +4.6% |
| 1997 | 7,932 terawatt-hours | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 7,872 terawatt-hours | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 8,099 terawatt-hours | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 8,211 terawatt-hours | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 8,636 terawatt-hours | +5.2% |
| 2002 | 9,467 terawatt-hours | +9.6% |
| 2003 | 11,283 terawatt-hours | +19.2% |
| 2004 | 13,155 terawatt-hours | +16.6% |
| 2005 | 15,405 terawatt-hours | +17.1% |
| 2006 | 16,918 terawatt-hours | +9.8% |
| 2007 | 18,424 terawatt-hours | +8.9% |
| 2008 | 18,716 terawatt-hours | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 19,605 terawatt-hours | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 20,340 terawatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 22,144 terawatt-hours | +8.9% |
| 2012 | 22,422 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 22,902 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 22,805 terawatt-hours | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 22,329 terawatt-hours | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 21,676 terawatt-hours | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 21,915 terawatt-hours | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 22,352 terawatt-hours | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 22,702 terawatt-hours | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 23,025 terawatt-hours | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 23,961 terawatt-hours | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 24,267 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 25,354 terawatt-hours | +4.5% |
| 2024 | 25,621 terawatt-hours | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 25,622 terawatt-hours | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,358 terawatt-hours | 1,256 terawatt-hours | 1,517 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 2,632 terawatt-hours | 1,930 terawatt-hours | 3,403 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 4,599 terawatt-hours | 3,520 terawatt-hours | 6,047 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 7,385 terawatt-hours | 6,135 terawatt-hours | 8,099 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 13,982 terawatt-hours | 8,211 terawatt-hours | 19,605 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 22,159 terawatt-hours | 20,340 terawatt-hours | 22,902 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 24,642 terawatt-hours | 23,025 terawatt-hours | 25,622 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More energy & mining data for China
- Fuel imports 20.4% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 15.1% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 1.5% (2024)
- Gas production 2,641 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 1,865 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 2,641 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Gas production per person 1,865 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gas production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is coal consumption in China?
- Coal consumption in China was 25,622 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest coal consumption recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 25,622 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest coal consumption recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,256 terawatt-hours in 1968.
- How does China rank for coal consumption?
- China ranks 1st out of 220 countries with data for 2025.
- Is coal consumption rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Coal consumption. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.