Share of primary energy from fossil fuels in China
China: Share of primary energy from fossil fuels was 87.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of primary energy from fossil fuels in China, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of primary energy from fossil fuels in China stood at 87.5%. That is the lowest value across all 61 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of primary energy from fossil fuels in China peaked at 99.0% in 1978 and was at its lowest, 87.5%, in 2025.
That places China 34th out of 75 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 98.6% | 98.4% | 98.7% | 5 |
| 1970s | 98.9% | 98.7% | 99.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 98.5% | 98.3% | 98.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 98.0% | 97.6% | 98.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 97.0% | 96.3% | 97.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 94.1% | 91.5% | 96.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 89.7% | 87.5% | 91.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More energy & mining data for China
- Fuel imports 20.4% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 15.1% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 1.5% (2024)
- Gas production 2,641 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 1,865 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 2,641 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Gas production per person 1,865 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel exports 1.5% (2024)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 3.4% (2023)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs. GDP per capita 59.5% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of primary energy from fossil fuels in China?
- Share of primary energy from fossil fuels in China was 87.5% in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of primary energy from fossil fuels recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 99.0% in 1978.
- What is the lowest share of primary energy from fossil fuels recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 87.5% in 2025.
- How does China rank for share of primary energy from fossil fuels?
- China ranks 34th out of 75 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of primary energy from fossil fuels rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. 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); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of primary energy from fossil fuels. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total energy supply.