Fossil fuel consumption in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Fossil fuel consumption was 753.14 terawatt-hours in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
753.14 terawatt-hours
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
17th
of 80 countries
All-time high
1,344 terawatt-hours
in 1973
All-time low
667 terawatt-hours
in 2020
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Fossil fuel consumption in United Kingdom, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fossil fuel consumption in United Kingdom is 753.14 terawatt-hours, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fossil fuel consumption in United Kingdom peaked at 1,344 terawatt-hours in 1973 and was at its lowest, 667 terawatt-hours, in 2020.
That places United Kingdom 17th out of 80 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Fossil fuel consumption in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 885.72 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 948.92 terawatt-hours | +7.1% |
| 1967 | 1,020 terawatt-hours | +7.5% |
| 1968 | 1,080 terawatt-hours | +5.9% |
| 1969 | 1,160 terawatt-hours | +7.5% |
| 1970 | 1,229 terawatt-hours | +5.9% |
| 1971 | 1,235 terawatt-hours | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 1,310 terawatt-hours | +6.0% |
| 1973 | 1,344 terawatt-hours | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 1,249 terawatt-hours | -7.1% |
| 1975 | 1,092 terawatt-hours | -12.5% |
| 1976 | 1,086 terawatt-hours | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 1,095 terawatt-hours | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 1,123 terawatt-hours | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 1,133 terawatt-hours | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 969.12 terawatt-hours | -14.5% |
| 1981 | 897.27 terawatt-hours | -7.4% |
| 1982 | 907.6 terawatt-hours | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 872.77 terawatt-hours | -3.8% |
| 1984 | 1,073 terawatt-hours | +22.9% |
| 1985 | 932.16 terawatt-hours | -13.1% |
| 1986 | 934.29 terawatt-hours | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 908.57 terawatt-hours | -2.8% |
| 1988 | 966.5 terawatt-hours | +6.4% |
| 1989 | 988 terawatt-hours | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 1,001 terawatt-hours | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 996.06 terawatt-hours | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 1,007 terawatt-hours | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 1,012 terawatt-hours | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 1,002 terawatt-hours | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 989.95 terawatt-hours | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 1,015 terawatt-hours | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 985.44 terawatt-hours | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 975.03 terawatt-hours | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 962.24 terawatt-hours | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 951.95 terawatt-hours | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 947.55 terawatt-hours | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 940.24 terawatt-hours | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 947.68 terawatt-hours | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 973.81 terawatt-hours | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 1,002 terawatt-hours | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 991.9 terawatt-hours | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 964.18 terawatt-hours | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 944.15 terawatt-hours | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 896.84 terawatt-hours | -5.0% |
| 2010 | 885.35 terawatt-hours | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 863.11 terawatt-hours | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 849.98 terawatt-hours | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 842.71 terawatt-hours | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 838.09 terawatt-hours | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 853.72 terawatt-hours | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 873.86 terawatt-hours | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 884 terawatt-hours | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 871.11 terawatt-hours | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 845.46 terawatt-hours | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 667 terawatt-hours | -21.1% |
| 2021 | 680.13 terawatt-hours | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 725.86 terawatt-hours | +6.7% |
| 2023 | 739.36 terawatt-hours | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 751.99 terawatt-hours | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 753.14 terawatt-hours | +0.2% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 753.14 terawatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 144.34 terawatt-hours, 5.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 753.14 terawatt-hours is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 104.15 terawatt-hours, 7.2× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,019 terawatt-hours | 885.72 terawatt-hours | 1,160 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 1,190 terawatt-hours | 1,086 terawatt-hours | 1,344 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 944.91 terawatt-hours | 872.77 terawatt-hours | 1,073 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 994.51 terawatt-hours | 962.24 terawatt-hours | 1,015 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 956.01 terawatt-hours | 896.84 terawatt-hours | 1,002 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 860.74 terawatt-hours | 838.09 terawatt-hours | 885.35 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 719.58 terawatt-hours | 667 terawatt-hours | 753.14 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More energy & mining data for United Kingdom
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -1.3 % 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 8.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fossil fuel consumption in United Kingdom?
- Fossil fuel consumption in United Kingdom was 753.14 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fossil fuel consumption recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 1,344 terawatt-hours in 1973.
- What is the lowest fossil fuel consumption recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 667 terawatt-hours in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom rank for fossil fuel consumption?
- United Kingdom ranks 17th out of 80 countries with data for 2025.
- Is fossil fuel consumption rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fossil fuel consumption. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.