Share of primary energy from coal in USSR

USSR: Share of primary energy from coal was 27.0% in 1984. ▼ Falling

Latest (1984)
27.0%
Change on year
down 4.4%
Rank
1st
of 3 groups
All-time high
51.2%
in 1965
All-time low
27.0%
in 1984
Years of data
20
1965–1984

Share of primary energy from coal in USSR, 1965–1984

02040601965197419841965: 51.2 %1966: 50 %1967: 48.2 %1968: 46.2 %1969: 45 %1970: 42.4 %1971: 41.2 %1972: 40.1 %1973: 38.6 %1974: 36.8 %1975: 35.9 %1976: 34.6 %1977: 33.7 %1978: 32.2 %1979: 31.6 %1980: 30 %1981: 29.1 %1982: 28.8 %1983: 28.3 %1984: 27 %

Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of primary energy from coal in USSR is 27.0%, measured in 1984. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.4% on the previous year and down 26.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of primary energy from coal in USSR peaked at 51.2% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 27.0%, in 1984.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 48.1% 45.0% 51.2% 5
1970s 36.7% 31.6% 42.4% 10
1980s 28.6% 27.0% 30.0% 5

Countries ranked near USSR

  1. 1 South Africa 72.4% compare
  2. 2 India 59.0% compare
  3. 3 China 56.9% compare
  4. 4 Vietnam 54.7% compare

See the full ranking of 81 places →

More energy & mining data for USSR

All data for USSR →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of primary energy from coal in USSR?
Share of primary energy from coal in USSR was 27.0% in 1984, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of primary energy from coal recorded in USSR?
The highest recorded value was 51.2% in 1965.
What is the lowest share of primary energy from coal recorded in USSR?
The lowest recorded value was 27.0% in 1984.
How does USSR rank for share of primary energy from coal?
USSR ranks 1st out of 3 groups with data for 1984.
Is share of primary energy from coal rising or falling in USSR?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this USSR data come from?
The figures 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 part of Share of primary energy from coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of primary energy from coal
Unit
%
Source
Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
81 places, 4,378 data points, 1965–2025
Last refreshed

Measured as a percentage of total energy supply.