Electricity generation from fossil fuels in Australia
Australia: Electricity generation from fossil fuels was 175.76 terawatt-hours in 2025. ▲ Rising
Electricity generation from fossil fuels in Australia, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
Australia recorded 175.76 terawatt-hours for electricity generation from fossil fuels in 2025.
That represents a change of down 3.9% on the previous year and down 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from fossil fuels in Australia peaked at 229.74 terawatt-hours in 2009 and was at its lowest, 105.54 terawatt-hours, in 1985.
Australia ranks 16th of 209 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 117.54 terawatt-hours | 105.54 terawatt-hours | 131.71 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1990s | 159.01 terawatt-hours | 139.4 terawatt-hours | 189.04 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 213.47 terawatt-hours | 199.29 terawatt-hours | 229.74 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 218.2 terawatt-hours | 210.64 terawatt-hours | 228.81 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 185.53 terawatt-hours | 175.76 terawatt-hours | 200.87 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More energy & mining data for Australia
- Fuel imports 11.7% (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 1.9% (2025)
- Ores and metals exports 34.6% (2025)
- Gas production 1,486 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 55,080 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 1,486 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Gas production per person 55,080 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel exports 26.9% (2025)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 4.7% (2024)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 45.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from fossil fuels in Australia?
- Electricity generation from fossil fuels in Australia was 175.76 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 fossil fuels recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 229.74 terawatt-hours in 2009.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from fossil fuels recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 105.54 terawatt-hours in 1985.
- How does Australia rank for electricity generation from fossil fuels?
- Australia ranks 16th out of 209 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from fossil fuels rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia 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 fossil fuels. 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
Electricity generation from coal, oil, and gas, measured in terawatt-hours.