Coal production in China
China: Coal production was 26,296 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Coal production in China, 1900–2025
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 26,296 terawatt-hours for coal production in 2025. That is the highest value across all 126 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 23.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, coal production in China peaked at 26,296 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 terawatt-hours, in 1900.
China ranks 1st of 219 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 25.76 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 69.75 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1910s | 55.68 terawatt-hours | 30.03 terawatt-hours | 85.45 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1920s | 95.75 terawatt-hours | 77.6 terawatt-hours | 109.59 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1930s | 155.65 terawatt-hours | 115.63 terawatt-hours | 201.63 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1940s | 211.12 terawatt-hours | 72.19 terawatt-hours | 339.31 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1950s | 739.97 terawatt-hours | 249.48 terawatt-hours | 2,022 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,708 terawatt-hours | 1,319 terawatt-hours | 2,441 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1970s | 2,738 terawatt-hours | 2,093 terawatt-hours | 3,546 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 4,778 terawatt-hours | 3,615 terawatt-hours | 6,130 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 7,278 terawatt-hours | 6,280 terawatt-hours | 8,122 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 13,198 terawatt-hours | 8,226 terawatt-hours | 17,885 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 21,080 terawatt-hours | 19,367 terawatt-hours | 22,034 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 24,608 terawatt-hours | 21,988 terawatt-hours | 26,296 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)
- Fuel exports 1.5% (2024)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 3.4% (2023)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 59.5% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is coal production in China?
- Coal production in China was 26,296 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 production recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 26,296 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest coal production recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 terawatt-hours in 1900.
- How does China rank for coal production?
- China ranks 1st out of 219 countries with data for 2025.
- Is coal production rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.6%. 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 production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.