Fossil fuel consumption per person in China
China: Fossil fuel consumption per person was 27,853 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
27,853 kilowatt-hours per person
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
53rd
of 219 countries
All-time high
27,853 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2025
All-time low
1,855 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1968
Years of data
61
1965–2025
Fossil fuel consumption per person 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 kilowatt-hours per person.
Analysis
In 2025, fossil fuel consumption per person in China stood at 27,853 kilowatt-hours per person. That is the highest value across all 61 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 25.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fossil fuel consumption per person in China peaked at 27,853 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,855 kilowatt-hours per person, in 1968.
China ranks 53rd of 219 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Fossil fuel consumption per person in China, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 2,033 kilowatt-hours per person | — |
| 1966 | 2,159 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.2% |
| 1967 | 1,897 kilowatt-hours per person | -12.1% |
| 1968 | 1,855 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.2% |
| 1969 | 2,215 kilowatt-hours per person | +19.4% |
| 1970 | 2,782 kilowatt-hours per person | +25.6% |
| 1971 | 3,216 kilowatt-hours per person | +15.6% |
| 1972 | 3,383 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.2% |
| 1973 | 3,488 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 3,514 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 3,877 kilowatt-hours per person | +10.3% |
| 1976 | 4,024 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 4,333 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.7% |
| 1978 | 4,711 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.7% |
| 1979 | 4,775 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 4,735 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 4,581 kilowatt-hours per person | -3.3% |
| 1982 | 4,693 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 4,900 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.4% |
| 1984 | 5,200 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.1% |
| 1985 | 5,546 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.6% |
| 1986 | 5,723 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.2% |
| 1987 | 6,070 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.1% |
| 1988 | 6,406 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.5% |
| 1989 | 6,602 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 6,556 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 6,806 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 7,080 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 7,519 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.2% |
| 1994 | 7,865 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.6% |
| 1995 | 7,984 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 8,372 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 8,340 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 8,285 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 8,533 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 8,731 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 9,068 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 9,836 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.5% |
| 2003 | 11,479 kilowatt-hours per person | +16.7% |
| 2004 | 13,312 kilowatt-hours per person | +16.0% |
| 2005 | 15,048 kilowatt-hours per person | +13.0% |
| 2006 | 16,398 kilowatt-hours per person | +9.0% |
| 2007 | 17,686 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.9% |
| 2008 | 17,951 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 18,687 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 19,713 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 21,236 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.7% |
| 2012 | 21,603 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 22,138 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 22,213 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 22,122 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 21,790 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 22,311 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 23,058 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 23,569 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 24,023 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 25,176 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 25,478 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 27,067 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.2% |
| 2024 | 27,568 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.8% |
| 2025 | 27,853 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 27,853 kilowatt-hours per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 12,263 kilowatt-hours per person, 2.3× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 27,853 kilowatt-hours per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 10,915 kilowatt-hours per person, 2.6× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fossil fuel consumption per person in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | +25.6% | 2,215 kilowatt-hours per person | 2,782 kilowatt-hours per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,032 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,855 kilowatt-hours per person | 2,215 kilowatt-hours per person | 5 |
| 1970s | 3,810 kilowatt-hours per person | 2,782 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,775 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 5,446 kilowatt-hours per person | 4,581 kilowatt-hours per person | 6,602 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 7,734 kilowatt-hours per person | 6,556 kilowatt-hours per person | 8,533 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 13,819 kilowatt-hours per person | 8,731 kilowatt-hours per person | 18,687 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 21,975 kilowatt-hours per person | 19,713 kilowatt-hours per person | 23,569 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 26,194 kilowatt-hours per person | 24,023 kilowatt-hours per person | 27,853 kilowatt-hours per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 50 Belarus 28,935 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 51 Israel 28,497 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 52 Germany 28,151 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 54 Czechia 27,844 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 55 Puerto Rico 27,164 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 56 Bosnia and Herzegovina 26,689 kilowatt-hours per person 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 fossil fuel consumption per person in China?
- Fossil fuel consumption per person in China was 27,853 kilowatt-hours per person 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 per person recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 27,853 kilowatt-hours per person in 2025.
- What is the lowest fossil fuel consumption per person recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,855 kilowatt-hours per person in 1968.
- How does China rank for fossil fuel consumption per person?
- China ranks 53rd out of 219 countries with data for 2025.
- Is fossil fuel consumption per person rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.9%. 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 per person. 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 kilowatt-hours per person. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and gas.