Consumption-based energy intensity per dollar in China
China: Consumption-based energy intensity per dollar was 1.76 kilowatt-hours per $ in 2020. ▼ Falling
Consumption-based energy intensity per dollar in China, 1995–2020
Source: Kulionis (2021) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per $.
Analysis
The most recent figure for consumption-based energy intensity per dollar in China is 1.76 kilowatt-hours per $, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 8.2% on the previous year and down 18.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, consumption-based energy intensity per dollar in China peaked at 3.92 kilowatt-hours per $ in 1995 and was at its lowest, 1.58 kilowatt-hours per $, in 2017.
China ranks 4th of 43 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Consumption-based energy intensity per dollar in China, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per $ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 3.92 kilowatt-hours per $ | — |
| 1996 | 3.61 kilowatt-hours per $ | -7.8% |
| 1997 | 3.24 kilowatt-hours per $ | -10.2% |
| 1998 | 3 kilowatt-hours per $ | -7.5% |
| 1999 | 2.92 kilowatt-hours per $ | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 2.78 kilowatt-hours per $ | -4.9% |
| 2001 | 2.65 kilowatt-hours per $ | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 2.55 kilowatt-hours per $ | -3.8% |
| 2003 | 2.55 kilowatt-hours per $ | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 2.63 kilowatt-hours per $ | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 2.44 kilowatt-hours per $ | -7.2% |
| 2006 | 2.25 kilowatt-hours per $ | -7.8% |
| 2007 | 2.11 kilowatt-hours per $ | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 2.06 kilowatt-hours per $ | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 2.17 kilowatt-hours per $ | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 2.17 kilowatt-hours per $ | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 2.15 kilowatt-hours per $ | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 2.06 kilowatt-hours per $ | -4.3% |
| 2013 | 2 kilowatt-hours per $ | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 1.88 kilowatt-hours per $ | -5.9% |
| 2015 | 1.78 kilowatt-hours per $ | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 1.6 kilowatt-hours per $ | -9.7% |
| 2017 | 1.58 kilowatt-hours per $ | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 1.72 kilowatt-hours per $ | +8.5% |
| 2019 | 1.63 kilowatt-hours per $ | -5.4% |
| 2020 | 1.76 kilowatt-hours per $ | +8.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1.76 kilowatt-hours per $ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.29 kilowatt-hours per $, 1.4× the median. (5 countries reporting)
- China's 1.76 kilowatt-hours per $ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.11 kilowatt-hours per $, 1.6× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.34 kilowatt-hours per $ | 2.92 kilowatt-hours per $ | 3.92 kilowatt-hours per $ | 5 |
| 2000s | 2.42 kilowatt-hours per $ | 2.06 kilowatt-hours per $ | 2.78 kilowatt-hours per $ | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.86 kilowatt-hours per $ | 1.58 kilowatt-hours per $ | 2.17 kilowatt-hours per $ | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.76 kilowatt-hours per $ | 1.76 kilowatt-hours per $ | 1.76 kilowatt-hours per $ | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
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)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 20.4% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 15.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is consumption-based energy intensity per dollar in China?
- Consumption-based energy intensity per dollar in China was 1.76 kilowatt-hours per $ in 2020, according to Kulionis (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest consumption-based energy intensity per dollar recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 3.92 kilowatt-hours per $ in 1995.
- What is the lowest consumption-based energy intensity per dollar recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.58 kilowatt-hours per $ in 2017.
- How does China rank for consumption-based energy intensity per dollar?
- China ranks 4th out of 43 countries with data for 2020.
- Is consumption-based energy intensity per dollar rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Kulionis (2021) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Consumption-based energy intensity per dollar. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Energy intensity is measured as the number of kilowatt-hours used per dollar of gross domestic product (GDP). Consumption-based energy adjusts for the energy embedded in traded goods: it is the energy used domestically minus energy used to produce exported goods; plus the energy used for imported goods.