Electricity generation from coal per person in China
China: Electricity generation from coal per person was 4,062 kilowatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
4,062 kilowatt-hours
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
3rd
of 211 countries
All-time high
4,106 kilowatt-hours
in 2024
All-time low
245.94 kilowatt-hours
in 1985
Years of data
41
1985–2025
Electricity generation from coal per person in China, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2025, electricity generation from coal per person in China stood at 4,062 kilowatt-hours.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and up 40.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from coal per person in China peaked at 4,106 kilowatt-hours in 2024 and was at its lowest, 245.94 kilowatt-hours, in 1985.
China ranks 3rd of 211 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Electricity generation from coal per person in China, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 245.94 kilowatt-hours | — |
| 1986 | 278.13 kilowatt-hours | +13.1% |
| 1987 | 310.03 kilowatt-hours | +11.5% |
| 1988 | 335.04 kilowatt-hours | +8.1% |
| 1989 | 357.2 kilowatt-hours | +6.6% |
| 1990 | 382.5 kilowatt-hours | +7.1% |
| 1991 | 425.73 kilowatt-hours | +11.3% |
| 1992 | 478.93 kilowatt-hours | +12.5% |
| 1993 | 492.13 kilowatt-hours | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 573.54 kilowatt-hours | +16.5% |
| 1995 | 608.04 kilowatt-hours | +6.0% |
| 1996 | 669.55 kilowatt-hours | +10.1% |
| 1997 | 698.57 kilowatt-hours | +4.3% |
| 1998 | 712.86 kilowatt-hours | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 769.48 kilowatt-hours | +7.9% |
| 2000 | 835.13 kilowatt-hours | +8.5% |
| 2001 | 883.02 kilowatt-hours | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 996.66 kilowatt-hours | +12.9% |
| 2003 | 1,174 kilowatt-hours | +17.8% |
| 2004 | 1,323 kilowatt-hours | +12.7% |
| 2005 | 1,512 kilowatt-hours | +14.3% |
| 2006 | 1,747 kilowatt-hours | +15.6% |
| 2007 | 2,004 kilowatt-hours | +14.7% |
| 2008 | 2,031 kilowatt-hours | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 2,169 kilowatt-hours | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 2,392 kilowatt-hours | +10.3% |
| 2011 | 2,713 kilowatt-hours | +13.4% |
| 2012 | 2,737 kilowatt-hours | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 2,957 kilowatt-hours | +8.0% |
| 2014 | 3,028 kilowatt-hours | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 2,898 kilowatt-hours | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 2,960 kilowatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 3,137 kilowatt-hours | +6.0% |
| 2018 | 3,357 kilowatt-hours | +7.0% |
| 2019 | 3,411 kilowatt-hours | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 3,451 kilowatt-hours | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 3,739 kilowatt-hours | +8.3% |
| 2022 | 3,799 kilowatt-hours | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 4,044 kilowatt-hours | +6.4% |
| 2024 | 4,106 kilowatt-hours | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 4,062 kilowatt-hours | -1.1% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 4,062 kilowatt-hours is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1446 kilowatt-hours, 28087.1× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- China's 4,062 kilowatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 222.7 kilowatt-hours, 18.2× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 305.27 kilowatt-hours | 245.94 kilowatt-hours | 357.2 kilowatt-hours | 5 |
| 1990s | 581.13 kilowatt-hours | 382.5 kilowatt-hours | 769.48 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,467 kilowatt-hours | 835.13 kilowatt-hours | 2,169 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,959 kilowatt-hours | 2,392 kilowatt-hours | 3,411 kilowatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,867 kilowatt-hours | 3,451 kilowatt-hours | 4,106 kilowatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 Australia 4,536 kilowatt-hours compare
- 2 Taiwan 4,523 kilowatt-hours compare
- 4 New Caledonia 3,895 kilowatt-hours compare
- 5 South Korea 3,765 kilowatt-hours compare
- 6 Serbia 3,561 kilowatt-hours compare
More energy & mining data for China
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 2.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 20.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from coal per person in China?
- Electricity generation from coal per person in China was 4,062 kilowatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from coal per person recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 4,106 kilowatt-hours in 2024.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from coal per person recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 245.94 kilowatt-hours in 1985.
- How does China rank for electricity generation from coal per person?
- China ranks 3rd out of 211 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from coal per person rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from coal per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.