Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita in China
China: Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita was 1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
33rd
of 164 countries
All-time high
2.77 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 1977
All-time low
1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar
in 2022
Years of data
58
1965–2022
Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita in China, 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 China is 1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 58 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 28.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy intensity vs. gdp per capita in China peaked at 2.77 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1977 and was at its lowest, 1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar, in 2022.
That places China 33rd out of 164 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 58 years of available data.
Energy intensity vs. GDP per capita in China, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per dollar | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 1.67 kilowatt-hours per dollar | — |
| 1966 | 1.75 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +5.2% |
| 1967 | 1.57 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -10.6% |
| 1968 | 1.61 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 1.79 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +10.9% |
| 1970 | 2.02 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +13.1% |
| 1971 | 2.26 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +11.5% |
| 1972 | 2.39 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +6.2% |
| 1973 | 2.33 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 2.34 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 2.46 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +5.0% |
| 1976 | 2.68 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +8.9% |
| 1977 | 2.77 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.3% |
| 1978 | 2.73 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 2.6 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.8% |
| 1980 | 2.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.1% |
| 1981 | 2.38 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.5% |
| 1982 | 2.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.5% |
| 1983 | 2.25 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 2.18 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.3% |
| 1985 | 2.17 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 2.14 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.5% |
| 1987 | 2.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 2.16 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 2.25 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 2.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 2.31 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 2.27 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 2.22 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.1% |
| 1994 | 2.19 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 2.08 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 2.06 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 2 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 1.99 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 1.97 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 1.91 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 1.89 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 1.91 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 2.11 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +10.3% |
| 2004 | 2.28 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +8.1% |
| 2005 | 2.36 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 2.35 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 2.33 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 2.3 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 2.25 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 2.15 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 2.19 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 2.1 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 2.01 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 1.91 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.2% |
| 2015 | 1.8 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 1.68 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -6.4% |
| 2017 | 1.63 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 1.6 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 1.55 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 1.56 kilowatt-hours per dollar | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 1.51 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar | -1.3% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.11 kilowatt-hours per dollar, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- China's 1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.18 kilowatt-hours per dollar, 1.3× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.68 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.57 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.79 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 5 |
| 1970s | 2.46 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.02 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.77 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.24 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.13 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.14 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.97 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.31 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.17 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.89 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.36 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.86 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.55 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2.19 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.52 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 1.56 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
- 30 Kazakhstan 1.58 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 31 Estonia 1.53 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 32 Serbia 1.53 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 34 Qatar 1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 35 Malaysia 1.48 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 36 Saint Lucia 1.45 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
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 energy intensity vs. gdp per capita in China?
- Energy intensity vs. gdp per capita in China was 1.49 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 2.77 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1977.
- What is the lowest energy intensity vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 2022.
- How does China rank for energy intensity vs. gdp per capita?
- China ranks 33rd out of 164 countries with data for 2022.
- Is energy intensity vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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.
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About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per international-$ of GDP.