Energy intensity by sector in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Energy intensity by sector was 2.29 MJ/2011 USD PPP in 2012. ▲ Rising
Energy intensity by sector in Saudi Arabia, 1990–2012
Source: World Bank and IEA (2017) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in MJ/2011 USD PPP.
Analysis
In 2012, energy intensity by sector in Saudi Arabia stood at 2.29 MJ/2011 USD PPP.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy intensity by sector in Saudi Arabia peaked at 2.48 MJ/2011 USD PPP in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.91 MJ/2011 USD PPP, in 1991.
Saudi Arabia ranks 154th of 189 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Energy intensity by sector in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | MJ/2011 USD PPP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.99 MJ/2011 USD PPP | — |
| 1991 | 1.91 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 1.93 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 2.03 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +5.1% |
| 1994 | 2.19 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +8.1% |
| 1995 | 2.11 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -4.0% |
| 1996 | 2.18 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 2.1 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -3.6% |
| 1998 | 2.18 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 2.29 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +5.1% |
| 2000 | 2.24 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 2.36 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +5.2% |
| 2002 | 2.48 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 2.43 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 2.3 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 2.2 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 2.22 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 2.31 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 2.28 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 2.38 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 2.41 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 2.26 MJ/2011 USD PPP | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 2.29 MJ/2011 USD PPP | +1.6% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 2.29 MJ/2011 USD PPP is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.58 MJ/2011 USD PPP, 89% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 2.29 MJ/2011 USD PPP is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 2.52 MJ/2011 USD PPP, 91% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.09 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 1.91 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 2.29 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.32 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 2.2 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 2.48 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.32 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 2.26 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 2.41 MJ/2011 USD PPP | 3 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More energy & mining data for Saudi Arabia
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 1.85 % 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 (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0.0001 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 5.7% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 2.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy intensity by sector in Saudi Arabia?
- Energy intensity by sector in Saudi Arabia was 2.29 MJ/2011 USD PPP in 2012, according to World Bank and IEA (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy intensity by sector recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.48 MJ/2011 USD PPP in 2002.
- What is the lowest energy intensity by sector recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.91 MJ/2011 USD PPP in 1991.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for energy intensity by sector?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 154th out of 189 countries with data for 2012.
- Is energy intensity by sector rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank and IEA (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy intensity by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Energy intensity level of final energy (MJ/2011 USD PPP): A ratio between final energy consumption and gross domestic product measured at purchasing power parity. Energy intensity is an indication of how much energy is used to produce one unit of economic output. Lower ratio indicates that less energy is used to produce one unit of output.