Net electricity imports in China
China: Net electricity imports was -19.46 terawatt-hours in 2025. ▼ Falling
Net electricity imports in China, 2000–2025
Source: Ember (2026); Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy of the UK (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for net electricity imports in China is -19.46 terawatt-hours, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is down 14.5% on the previous year and down 56.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net electricity imports in China peaked at -6.08 terawatt-hours in 2004 and was at its lowest, -19.46 terawatt-hours, in 2025.
That places China 210th out of 214 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | -8.67 terawatt-hours | -12.8 terawatt-hours | -6.08 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | -12.99 terawatt-hours | -16.8 terawatt-hours | -10.78 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | -16.29 terawatt-hours | -19.46 terawatt-hours | -12.95 terawatt-hours | 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 net electricity imports in China?
- Net electricity imports in China was -19.46 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026); Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy of the UK (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest net electricity imports recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was -6.08 terawatt-hours in 2004.
- What is the lowest net electricity imports recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -19.46 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- How does China rank for net electricity imports?
- China ranks 210th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is net electricity imports rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026); Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy of the UK (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Net electricity imports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Electricity imports minus exports, measured in terawatt-hours.