Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita in Australia
Australia: Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita was 1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
57th
of 164 countries
All-time high
2.5 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 1978
All-time low
1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 2021
Years of data
58
1965–2022
Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita in Australia, 1965–2022
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per dollar.
Analysis
The most recent figure for energy intensity vs. gdp per capita in Australia is 1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy intensity vs. gdp per capita in Australia peaked at 2.5 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1978 and was at its lowest, 1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar, in 2021.
That places Australia 57th out of 164 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 58 years of available data.
Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita in Australia, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per dollar | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 2.22 kilowatt-hours per dollar | — |
| 1966 | 2.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 2.26 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 2.26 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 2.22 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.0% |
| 1970 | 2.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.3% |
| 1971 | 2.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 2.32 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 2.35 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 2.43 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 2.4 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.2% |
| 1976 | 2.4 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 2.5 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +4.2% |
| 1978 | 2.5 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 2.47 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 2.44 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 2.38 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.2% |
| 1982 | 2.37 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 2.35 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 2.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.3% |
| 1985 | 2.22 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 2.22 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 2.17 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 2.18 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 2.19 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 2.2 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 2.2 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 2.15 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 2.1 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 2.07 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 2.05 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 2.01 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 1.97 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 1.91 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 1.9 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 1.84 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 1.8 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 1.75 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 1.72 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 1.7 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 1.64 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 1.66 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 1.62 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 1.6 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 1.53 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 1.48 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 1.47 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 1.4 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 1.38 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 1.36 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 1.36 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 1.32 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 1.29 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 1.26 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 1.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 1.21 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.1% |
| 2021 | 1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -6.0% |
| 2022 | 1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.1% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar is above the median for high income countries, which is 1 kilowatt-hours per dollar, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.18 kilowatt-hours per dollar, 96% of the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.24 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.22 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 5 |
| 1970s | 2.39 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.5 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.28 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.17 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.44 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.06 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.9 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.2 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.69 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.53 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.84 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.36 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.26 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.48 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.16 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.21 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More energy & mining data for Australia
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -0.4235 % 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 0.0001 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0.0001 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 11.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy intensity vs. gdp per capita in Australia?
- Energy intensity vs. gdp per capita in Australia was 1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2022, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy intensity vs. gdp per capita recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.5 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1978.
- What is the lowest energy intensity vs. gdp per capita recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2021.
- How does Australia rank for energy intensity vs. gdp per capita?
- Australia ranks 57th out of 164 countries with data for 2022.
- Is energy intensity vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 58 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per international-$ of GDP.