Energy intensity in USSR
USSR: Energy intensity was 5.87 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1991. ▲ Rising
Energy intensity in USSR, 1965–1991
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
In 1991, energy intensity in USSR stood at 5.87 kilowatt-hours per dollar. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.6% on the previous year and up 20.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy intensity in USSR peaked at 5.87 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1991 and was at its lowest, 3.96 kilowatt-hours per dollar, in 1968.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.02 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3.96 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 4.08 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 5 |
| 1970s | 4.33 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 3.98 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 4.72 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.24 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 4.81 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 5.69 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.77 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 5.67 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 5.87 kilowatt-hours per dollar | 2 |
Countries ranked near USSR
- 1 Iceland 5.35 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 2 Turkmenistan 4.68 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 3 Trinidad and Tobago 4.61 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
- 4 North Korea 4.49 kilowatt-hours per dollar compare
More energy & mining data for USSR
- Gas production per person 20,217 kilowatt-hours per person (1984)
- Gas production 5,564 terawatt-hours (1984)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 20,217 kilowatt-hours per person (1984)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 5,564 terawatt-hours (1984)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 60.4% (1991)
- Share of dietary energy derived from protein vs. GDP per capita 13.2% (1991)
- Vegetable oil supply per person vs. GDP per capita 7.34 kilograms per year per capita (1991)
- Share of dietary energy supply from fats vs. GDP per capita 26.4% (1991)
- Gas reserves 45.31 trillion cubic meters (1991)
- Oil reserves 9.06 billion cubic meters (1991)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy intensity in USSR?
- Energy intensity in USSR was 5.87 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1991, 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 recorded in USSR?
- The highest recorded value was 5.87 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1991.
- What is the lowest energy intensity recorded in USSR?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.96 kilowatt-hours per dollar in 1968.
- How does USSR rank for energy intensity?
- USSR ranks 1st out of 1 groups with data for 1991.
- Is energy intensity rising or falling in USSR?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this USSR 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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 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.