Coal reserves in Germany
Germany: Coal reserves was 35.40 billion tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Coal reserves in Germany, 2008–2023
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, coal reserves in Germany stood at 35.40 billion tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, coal reserves in Germany peaked at 40.70 billion tonnes in 2008 and was at its lowest, 34.05 billion tonnes, in 2017.
Germany ranks 6th of 216 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Coal reserves in Germany, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 40.70 billion tonnes | — |
| 2009 | 40.67 billion tonnes | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 40.56 billion tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 40.55 billion tonnes | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 40.44 billion tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 40.33 billion tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 36.32 billion tonnes | -9.9% |
| 2015 | 36.21 billion tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 36.11 billion tonnes | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 34.05 billion tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 35.90 billion tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2019 | 35.90 billion tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 35.90 billion tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 35.90 billion tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 35.40 billion tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 35.40 billion tonnes | +0.0% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 35.40 billion tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 317.00 million tonnes, 111.7× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 40.69 billion tonnes | 40.67 billion tonnes | 40.70 billion tonnes | 2 |
| 2010s | 37.64 billion tonnes | 34.05 billion tonnes | 40.56 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.65 billion tonnes | 35.40 billion tonnes | 35.90 billion tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More energy & mining data for Germany
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -0.1985 % 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 8.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is coal reserves in Germany?
- Coal reserves in Germany was 35.40 billion tonnes in 2023, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest coal reserves recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 40.70 billion tonnes in 2008.
- What is the lowest coal reserves recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.05 billion tonnes in 2017.
- How does Germany rank for coal reserves?
- Germany ranks 6th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is coal reserves rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Coal reserves. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proved reserves, measured in tonnes, are generally those quantities that can be recovered in the future from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions, according to geological and engineering information.