Fossil fuel consumption in China
China: Fossil fuel consumption was 39,443 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
39,443 terawatt-hours
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
1st
of 220 countries
All-time high
39,443 terawatt-hours
in 2025
All-time low
1,444 terawatt-hours
in 1967
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Fossil fuel consumption in China, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2025, fossil fuel consumption in China stood at 39,443 terawatt-hours. That is the highest value across all 61 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 27.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fossil fuel consumption in China peaked at 39,443 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,444 terawatt-hours, in 1967.
That places China 1st out of 220 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fossil fuel consumption in China, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 1,471 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1966 | 1,603 terawatt-hours | +9.0% |
| 1967 | 1,444 terawatt-hours | -9.9% |
| 1968 | 1,449 terawatt-hours | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 1,776 terawatt-hours | +22.6% |
| 1970 | 2,291 terawatt-hours | +28.9% |
| 1971 | 2,714 terawatt-hours | +18.5% |
| 1972 | 2,921 terawatt-hours | +7.6% |
| 1973 | 3,078 terawatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 1974 | 3,164 terawatt-hours | +2.8% |
| 1975 | 3,551 terawatt-hours | +12.3% |
| 1976 | 3,744 terawatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 1977 | 4,089 terawatt-hours | +9.2% |
| 1978 | 4,504 terawatt-hours | +10.2% |
| 1979 | 4,628 terawatt-hours | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 4,655 terawatt-hours | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 4,570 terawatt-hours | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 4,757 terawatt-hours | +4.1% |
| 1983 | 5,042 terawatt-hours | +6.0% |
| 1984 | 5,428 terawatt-hours | +7.7% |
| 1985 | 5,877 terawatt-hours | +8.3% |
| 1986 | 6,165 terawatt-hours | +4.9% |
| 1987 | 6,654 terawatt-hours | +7.9% |
| 1988 | 7,144 terawatt-hours | +7.4% |
| 1989 | 7,486 terawatt-hours | +4.8% |
| 1990 | 7,563 terawatt-hours | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 7,969 terawatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 1992 | 8,387 terawatt-hours | +5.2% |
| 1993 | 9,003 terawatt-hours | +7.4% |
| 1994 | 9,509 terawatt-hours | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 9,741 terawatt-hours | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 10,306 terawatt-hours | +5.8% |
| 1997 | 10,351 terawatt-hours | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 10,364 terawatt-hours | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 10,753 terawatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 2000 | 11,085 terawatt-hours | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 11,596 terawatt-hours | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 12,657 terawatt-hours | +9.2% |
| 2003 | 14,860 terawatt-hours | +17.4% |
| 2004 | 17,333 terawatt-hours | +16.6% |
| 2005 | 19,713 terawatt-hours | +13.7% |
| 2006 | 21,613 terawatt-hours | +9.6% |
| 2007 | 23,448 terawatt-hours | +8.5% |
| 2008 | 23,943 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 25,088 terawatt-hours | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 26,644 terawatt-hours | +6.2% |
| 2011 | 28,886 terawatt-hours | +8.4% |
| 2012 | 29,585 terawatt-hours | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 30,528 terawatt-hours | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 30,831 terawatt-hours | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 30,886 terawatt-hours | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 30,594 terawatt-hours | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 31,511 terawatt-hours | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 32,720 terawatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 33,550 terawatt-hours | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 34,260 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 35,912 terawatt-hours | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 36,310 terawatt-hours | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 38,505 terawatt-hours | +6.0% |
| 2024 | 39,128 terawatt-hours | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 39,443 terawatt-hours | +0.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 39,443 terawatt-hours is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 83.1 terawatt-hours, 474.6× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 39,443 terawatt-hours is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 56.44 terawatt-hours, 698.9× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,549 terawatt-hours | 1,444 terawatt-hours | 1,776 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 3,468 terawatt-hours | 2,291 terawatt-hours | 4,628 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 5,778 terawatt-hours | 4,570 terawatt-hours | 7,486 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 9,395 terawatt-hours | 7,563 terawatt-hours | 10,753 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 18,134 terawatt-hours | 11,085 terawatt-hours | 25,088 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 30,574 terawatt-hours | 26,644 terawatt-hours | 33,550 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 37,260 terawatt-hours | 34,260 terawatt-hours | 39,443 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
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 fossil fuel consumption in China?
- Fossil fuel consumption in China was 39,443 terawatt-hours in 2025, 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 fossil fuel consumption recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 39,443 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest fossil fuel consumption recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,444 terawatt-hours in 1967.
- How does China rank for fossil fuel consumption?
- China ranks 1st out of 220 countries with data for 2025.
- Is fossil fuel consumption rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 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. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and gas.