Electricity generation from coal in China
China: Electricity generation from coal was 5,752 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
5,752 terawatt-hours
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
1st
of 211 countries
All-time high
5,828 terawatt-hours
in 2024
All-time low
260.64 terawatt-hours
in 1985
Years of data
41
1985–2025
Electricity generation from coal in China, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2025, electricity generation from coal in China stood at 5,752 terawatt-hours.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and up 42.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from coal in China peaked at 5,828 terawatt-hours in 2024 and was at its lowest, 260.64 terawatt-hours, in 1985.
That places China 1st out of 211 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Electricity generation from coal in China, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 260.64 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1986 | 299.61 terawatt-hours | +14.9% |
| 1987 | 339.86 terawatt-hours | +13.4% |
| 1988 | 373.65 terawatt-hours | +9.9% |
| 1989 | 405.06 terawatt-hours | +8.4% |
| 1990 | 441.25 terawatt-hours | +8.9% |
| 1991 | 498.43 terawatt-hours | +13.0% |
| 1992 | 567.33 terawatt-hours | +13.8% |
| 1993 | 589.23 terawatt-hours | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 693.41 terawatt-hours | +17.7% |
| 1995 | 741.89 terawatt-hours | +7.0% |
| 1996 | 824.18 terawatt-hours | +11.1% |
| 1997 | 867.03 terawatt-hours | +5.2% |
| 1998 | 891.67 terawatt-hours | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 969.68 terawatt-hours | +8.7% |
| 2000 | 1,060 terawatt-hours | +9.3% |
| 2001 | 1,129 terawatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 2002 | 1,283 terawatt-hours | +13.6% |
| 2003 | 1,520 terawatt-hours | +18.5% |
| 2004 | 1,722 terawatt-hours | +13.3% |
| 2005 | 1,980 terawatt-hours | +15.0% |
| 2006 | 2,302 terawatt-hours | +16.3% |
| 2007 | 2,657 terawatt-hours | +15.4% |
| 2008 | 2,709 terawatt-hours | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 2,912 terawatt-hours | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 3,234 terawatt-hours | +11.1% |
| 2011 | 3,691 terawatt-hours | +14.1% |
| 2012 | 3,748 terawatt-hours | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 4,077 terawatt-hours | +8.8% |
| 2014 | 4,203 terawatt-hours | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 4,046 terawatt-hours | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 4,156 terawatt-hours | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 4,430 terawatt-hours | +6.6% |
| 2018 | 4,764 terawatt-hours | +7.5% |
| 2019 | 4,855 terawatt-hours | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 4,922 terawatt-hours | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 5,334 terawatt-hours | +8.4% |
| 2022 | 5,415 terawatt-hours | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 5,753 terawatt-hours | +6.2% |
| 2024 | 5,828 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 5,752 terawatt-hours | -1.3% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 5,752 terawatt-hours is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.005 terawatt-hours, 1150312.0× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- China's 5,752 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.12 terawatt-hours, 5135.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 335.77 terawatt-hours | 260.64 terawatt-hours | 405.06 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1990s | 708.41 terawatt-hours | 441.25 terawatt-hours | 969.68 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,927 terawatt-hours | 1,060 terawatt-hours | 2,912 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,120 terawatt-hours | 3,234 terawatt-hours | 4,855 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 5,500 terawatt-hours | 4,922 terawatt-hours | 5,828 terawatt-hours | 6 |
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)
- 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 electricity generation from coal in China?
- Electricity generation from coal in China was 5,752 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from coal recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 5,828 terawatt-hours in 2024.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from coal recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 260.64 terawatt-hours in 1985.
- How does China rank for electricity generation from coal?
- China ranks 1st out of 211 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from coal rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.