Coal energy consumption per capita vs. GDP per capita in China
China: Coal energy consumption per capita vs. GDP per capita was 18.09 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
18.09 kilowatt-hours per person
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
3rd
of 78 countries
All-time high
18.09 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
All-time low
1.61 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1968
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Coal energy consumption per capita vs. GDP per capita in China, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.
Analysis
In 2025, coal energy consumption per capita vs. gdp per capita in China stood at 18.09 kilowatt-hours per person. That is the highest value across all 61 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, coal energy consumption per capita vs. gdp per capita in China peaked at 18.09 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.61 kilowatt-hours per person, in 1968.
China ranks 3rd of 78 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Coal energy consumption per capita vs. GDP per capita in China, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 1.84 kilowatt-hours per person | — |
| 1966 | 1.92 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.2% |
| 1967 | 1.66 kilowatt-hours per person | -13.3% |
| 1968 | 1.61 kilowatt-hours per person | -3.3% |
| 1969 | 1.89 kilowatt-hours per person | +17.6% |
| 1970 | 2.34 kilowatt-hours per person | +24.0% |
| 1971 | 2.64 kilowatt-hours per person | +12.5% |
| 1972 | 2.72 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.4% |
| 1973 | 2.7 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 2.62 kilowatt-hours per person | -3.0% |
| 1975 | 2.9 kilowatt-hours per person | +10.8% |
| 1976 | 2.93 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 3.17 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.5% |
| 1978 | 3.44 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.4% |
| 1979 | 3.51 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 3.6 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 3.53 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.0% |
| 1982 | 3.67 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.2% |
| 1983 | 3.88 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.5% |
| 1984 | 4.16 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.2% |
| 1985 | 4.47 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.5% |
| 1986 | 4.6 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 4.9 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.6% |
| 1988 | 5.17 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.6% |
| 1989 | 5.33 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 5.32 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 5.49 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 5.68 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 5.99 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.4% |
| 1994 | 6.32 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.5% |
| 1995 | 6.34 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 6.58 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 6.39 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 6.29 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 6.43 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 6.47 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 6.75 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 7.36 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.9% |
| 2003 | 8.72 kilowatt-hours per person | +18.5% |
| 2004 | 10.1 kilowatt-hours per person | +15.9% |
| 2005 | 11.76 kilowatt-hours per person | +16.4% |
| 2006 | 12.84 kilowatt-hours per person | +9.2% |
| 2007 | 13.9 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.3% |
| 2008 | 14.03 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 14.6 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 15.05 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 16.28 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.2% |
| 2012 | 16.37 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 16.61 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 16.43 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 15.99 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 15.44 kilowatt-hours per person | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 15.52 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 15.75 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 15.95 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 16.15 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 16.8 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 17.03 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 17.82 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.7% |
| 2024 | 18.05 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 18.09 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 18.09 kilowatt-hours per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.2 kilowatt-hours per person, 15.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- China's 18.09 kilowatt-hours per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6.02 kilowatt-hours per person, 3.0× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.78 kilowatt-hours per person | 1.61 kilowatt-hours per person | 1.92 kilowatt-hours per person | 5 |
| 1970s | 2.9 kilowatt-hours per person | 2.34 kilowatt-hours per person | 3.51 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.33 kilowatt-hours per person | 3.53 kilowatt-hours per person | 5.33 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.08 kilowatt-hours per person | 5.32 kilowatt-hours per person | 6.58 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.65 kilowatt-hours per person | 6.47 kilowatt-hours per person | 14.6 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.94 kilowatt-hours per person | 15.05 kilowatt-hours per person | 16.61 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.32 kilowatt-hours per person | 16.15 kilowatt-hours per person | 18.09 kilowatt-hours per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 Kazakhstan 20.95 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 2 Estonia 18.97 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 4 South Africa 15.64 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 5 Taiwan 15.41 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 6 South Korea 15.35 kilowatt-hours per person 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 coal energy consumption per capita vs. gdp per capita in China?
- Coal energy consumption per capita vs. gdp per capita in China was 18.09 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest coal energy consumption per capita vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 18.09 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025.
- What is the lowest coal energy consumption per capita vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.61 kilowatt-hours per person in 1968.
- How does China rank for coal energy consumption per capita vs. gdp per capita?
- China ranks 3rd out of 78 countries with data for 2025.
- Is coal energy consumption per capita vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. 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); Smil (2017); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Coal energy consumption per capita vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per person.